Drew Griffin Obituary, Death – Drew Griffin passed away Saturday after a long battle with cancer at age 60. Senior investigative correspondent for CNN with an impressive track record of talking even the most reluctant interview subjects into taking part in a story. Griffin has a well-deserved reputation for holding influential people and institutions accountable. He was an expert storyteller. Chris Licht, the CEO of CNN, wrote a statement to the company’s employees lamenting Drew’s passing as “a devastating loss to CNN and our whole profession.”
According to one reviewer, investigative journalist Drew’s work “embodied the objective of this group in every manner” and “had tremendous influence.” Griffin worked on CNN’s investigative team for nearly 20 years, contributing to countless articles and movies. Some of the most prestigious journalism honors, including the Emmys, Peabodys, and Murrows, had recognized his reporting. Drew, according to Licht, valued people more than accomplishments. Griffin’s strong work ethic received accolades from his coworkers.
Most of his employees were unaware of his sickness, thus he continued to show up for work right up to the day of his death. In a note addressed to the investigation team on Sunday, Michael Bass, CNN’s Executive Vice President of Programming, also expressed his gratitude for Griffin. According to Bass, the author was “fearless and artistic at the same time.” He was adept at developing a tale to its full potential while also keeping it approachable for all audiences. “How frequently did he try to interview someone who refused? How often has he disobeyed orders? How many times has he changed things significantly?
Working with him was enjoyable, and I enjoyed seeing how much of an impact his work had on the world. Griffin’s reporting had a big effect and brought about change. He oversaw a year-long study that revealed medical care delays at Department of Veterans Affairs institutions around the country that contributed to patient deaths. The VA secretary’s departure as a result of the team’s conclusions was followed by new federal legislation being passed and a significant transformation in the way veterans’ appointments are handled.
His reporting on the numerous allegations of sexual assault against Uber drivers led to changes in the company’s background check procedure and the addition of new safety features to its app. In response to the CNN investigation, Uber declared it will end a policy that required those who reported sexual assault to sign non-disclosure agreements and submit to arbitration. Patricia DiCarlo and Griffin collaborated for nearly ten years when Griffin served as the investigative unit’s executive producer for CNN. Griffin was recognized by DiCarlo as a gifted author who turned his writing into “compelling, must-see TV storylines.”
She stated: “A superb narrative from a Drew Griffin author is a guarantee. He had a distinctive manner of speaking. Griffin’s sense of justice was influenced by his dedication to the most difficult issues and his capacity to persuade some of the most reclusive famous people to offer their viewpoints on the matter. But he didn’t hesitate to ask them incisive questions. Griffin’s sharp, Emmy-winning investigation into the alleged fraud at Trump University in 2016 exposed multiple real estate courses’ dubious, money-laundering methods, sparking class action lawsuits from attendees.
Griffin questioned a former instructor at Trump University about his role in the scam, which entails tricking students into paying for additional seminars rather than really imparting real estate knowledge. The teacher responded, “We were bringing in the money,” when Griffin questioned him about it. Griffin, a native of Champaign, Illinois, started his career with WICD-TV as a cameraman and reporter. He worked for TV stations in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Washington for protracted periods of time. When he joined KIRO-TV in Seattle, he started working as an investigative reporter.
In January 1994, he began working as a reporter and anchor for CBS 2 News in Los Angeles. During his time there, he founded the station’s investigative reporting team and received numerous regional honors. In his spare time, according to his family, he liked playing the trumpet, going golfing with friends, and taking trips with his wife Margot. He also cherished his two grandchildren and his three children, whose names were taken from jazz legends: daughter Ele Gast, sons Louis and Miles Griffin.
