Well-known journalist Drew Griffin recently passed away on December 17 at the age of 60. Reports state that he battled cancer for a long time, which eventually led to his demise.
According to CNN, Drew never disclosed his health issues to anyone and continued doing his job until his death on Saturday.
CNN This Morning anchor Don Lemon also expressed his grief on December 19 while announcing the news, adding that the show will pay its respects to the late journalist. He became emotional at one point and co-host Kaitlan Collins said that Griffin was very close to Lemon.
Further information about Griffin's health history is yet to be made public. Details about his funeral are also currently awaited.
Drew Griffin began his journey at CNN in 2004
Drew Griffin was reportedly born in either 1961 or 1962. Although detailed information about his childhood and educational background is not available, he graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Communications.
He joined WICD-TV as a reporter and cameraman and covered different events at various locations. He then shifted to KIRO-TV and worked as an investigative reporter.
He gained recognition for his work as a reporter and anchor at CBS 2 News, where he began his journey in 1994. He was also involved in the development of the channel's investigative reporting team and covered many events, including the fight against terrorism following the terror attacks on September 11, 2002.
He left CBS 2 News and joined CNN in May 2004, where he covered reports related to sports, politics, and government. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he went to New Orleans to cover the consequences of the natural disaster as well. Griffin got the opportunity to travel around the world and cover important events, including Somalia's famine.
His expertise in journalism helped him work on topics including research to reverse Alzheimer's, a Los Angeles-based underground medical network, and false soliciting at Los Angeles International Airport.
He later investigated the death of 19 military veterans at Veterans Affairs hospitals and it was disclosed that the incident took place due to a delay in appointments. Following the revelation, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki had to step down from his position and Congress approved legislation by which veterans would be taken care of outside the VA.
In another investigation, he found that gerrymandering and "Super Pacs" played a negative role in elections and medical residents were cheating on board certification tests for radiologists.
He was the recipient of several accolades, including the Peabody Award and the national Emmy Award for Business and Financial Reporting. He was also named Journalist of the Year by the Atlanta Press Club.
Drew Griffin is survived by his wife Margot, his three children, and two grandchildren.