CNN pays tribute to ‘legendary’ late stage manager Jay Conroy

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CNN has paid tribute to late stage manager Jay Conroy following his death over the weekend.

Jim Sciutto, a CNN anchor and chief national security correspondent, introduced a special segment dedicated to Conroy on Monday 17 January, telling viewers: “We lost a dear, dear member of our team this weekend. Jay Conroy. He was our stage manager, someone just out of the camera frame, making sure we get you the news every day.

“Far more important, he was a good friend, a deeply special person. He was kind, sincere, he was generous, and trust us, just so funny. And he looked out for us.”

Sciutto recounted how Conroy helped keep staffers safe during a bomb threat in 2018, by shepherding the staff out of the building.

“We at @CNN lost a dear, dear colleague and friend this weekend. Our stage manager Jay Conroy took care of us, kept us safe and made us laugh. We will miss him so much,” Sciutto wrote on Twitter, while a message on CNN’s screen during the segment called Conroy a “legendary” stage manager.

Conroy, a fan of music (especially of the band Aerosmith), ran the website and hard rock show Rock Hard with Jay Conroy. In 2012, Conroy attended his 100th Aerosmith concert. CNN filmed him meeting the band to mark the occasion.

CNN Newsroom anchor Alisyn Camerota paid tribute to Conroy, tweeting: “I’m crushed to learn the news of the untimely passing of Jay Conroy, our beloved floor director. He relished what he did at @CNN and made every single day livelier and more fun for us. We shared a special @Aerosmith bond and I’m really going to miss him.”

“We've lost a friend at CNN. Jay Conroy was a stage manager – and so much more,” CNN chief media correspondent Brian Selter tweeted. “He was a producer, greeter, fixer, hype man, unsung hero for anchors and guests.”

Oliver Darcy, a senior media reporter at the network, wrote: “Devastating news here at CNN today. Jay was an incredible person who always greeted you with a smile and a story. He was kind and thoughtful and had the best energy. Gutting to hear that we have lost him.”