TheLoop21.com

By: Keli Goff (Add to your loop)
Wed, 02/03/2010 - 01:00

T.J. Holmes is an anchor for CNN.

IN THE LOOP WITH... T.J. Holmes

When asked to name his “claim to fame” CNN anchor T.J. Holmes demurred and said, “still waiting on it,” with a booming laugh. But to fans of the weekend morning edition of CNN Newsroom, his claim to fame is well known. Holmes makes news stories, big and small, accessible for his diverse audience. His authoritative, yet reassuring delivery and winning smile are two of his trademarks. It also doesn’t hurt that he happens to be easy on the eyes. Who says you can’t have more than one claim to fame?

Claim to Fame: Broadcast Journalist

Affiliation: Anchor for CNN

Education: University of Arkansas, BA Journalism

Currently Resides: Atlanta, GA
 
1. What one word best describes you?
 I’m not sure which one to go with. Maybe Southern AND gentleman.

2. What's your guilty pleasure?
Candy. I eat candy like a madman. Twizzlers and Mike and Ike and those little Hot Tamales—I’m constantly eating candy! It’s horrible.

3. Are you a dreamer or dedicated realist? Why?
No doubt I’m a Realist. I have always had the attitude that I don’t have dreams I have goals. You can dream about winning the lottery but unless you go buy a lottery ticket you’re not really making it a goal of yours.

4. What book, movie or CD would you have to take with you to a deserted island?
It would probably have to be a CD. Can I just take my whole ipod? Because I can’t walk ten feet without putting my earphones in and listening to music. If I only had one CD…I’m kind of an old soul so either Otis Redding or Bill Withers.

5. What country outside the US do you most want to visit (or enjoy visiting)?  Why?
I loved Greece. I spent a summer in Greece there covering the Olympics in 2004 and I hate that I didn’t get to take in the country like I really wanted to because we were working 14-16 hour days so I was in this wonderful, historic place and didn’t really get to enjoy it like I wanted to so I think I’d like to go back to Greece.

6. If you could trade places with someone in another profession for a day, who would it be and why?
Mike Beebe, the Gov. of Arkansas. That’s my home state. People ask me all the time “what’s your dream job?” and something I would love to do is be governor of Arkansas. Who knows? Right now I’m certainly involved and busy and got a good thing going with CNN and my career in journalism but really it’s politics on that level on a local level—statewide--it’s a job in which you can actually reach out and touch people day in and day out and it’s my home state so its certainly got my heart in it so it’s something I might love to do one of these days.

7. What was your very first job?
I was a painter at 14 or 15. My dad was my high school principal in my hometown. They hired a small group of sons of teachers and administrators around the district and we had to go to the schools around the district and do touch up paintwork. That was my first job.

8. Did you have a role model? If so, how did you find them or did they find you?
I’ve had some mentors in the business that I look to but in that traditional sense of someone day in and day out growing up, those were my parents. They had a lot of influence on me. But as far as my job and career goes, Byron Pitts has become a mentor to me. He’s been at CBS News for quite some time and he reached out to me and has guided me and taken me under his wing. He’s certainly somebody I look up to in the business. I’m so thankful he’s been willing to answer any question I might have or give me any guidance I might need.

9. Did you always plan to be an anchor or did circumstances (fate) lead you to it? 
I wasn’t one of those kids who grew up saying “I want to be this” when I grow up. I went to college and fell into an elective, a communications class and it was there where I developed my love for live television and was fascinated by it. I didn’t always know but I found out early when I got to college that this was the direction I was going to go.

10. In your experience, what has been more important talent or tenacity? Explain.
Tenacity. Talent will only get you so far. There are so many people with talent right now that are letting it go to waste because they don’t have the tenacity to see it through. It’s great to have the blessings of a little talent but you’ve got to bust your butt and work hard.

11. What was your most important/difficult career decision?
Might sound crazy, but that might have been my decision to come to CNN three years ago. I’ve always kind of viewed myself as a small town boy who wanted to just settle in somewhere and just have an impact on a small community like the little communities I grew up in, so in deciding where I was going to go when I was leaving California where I was working at NBC in the Bay Area when I was looking at my next move and I really was debating about going to a couple of smaller places. I had options in smaller towns to be a local news anchor where you can get out and touch people every day.

At CNN, you have a wider reach but sometimes you feel like there’s a disconnect between you and your audience because you can’t just run into them at the grocery store or at Blockbuster. It may seem silly to some people or crazy like “How in the world could you consider giving up the opportunity at CNN for some smaller place,” but it’s something I did a lot of soul searching on. Glad I made the move I made but it was a a tough call. Much tougher than many people realize.

12. What political issue or charitable cause are you most passionate about?
Anything involving young people, students, education. I’m the son of educators. My mom retired as an elementary school teacher and my dad was my high school principal. So that influence on me knowing the importance of education and what it can lead to. I think I’m in a unique position right now where students listen because I’m in a place like CNN but I’m young enough still that I can relate to them so I try to use that every chance I get to speak to young people. Anything involving young folks I’m there.

13. In your view, what is the biggest challenge facing America today?
The economy. There are so many other things on the table but it all starts with the economy. You’ve got wars, healthcare, even racism but people don’t see black and white when they’re standing in the unemployment line.

14. In the wake of electing our first Black president, in what area do you expect Black Americans to make the most progress over the next decade?
I would hope that just having him in office for a 10 year old kid right now to see a Black president in the inner city somewhere, I don’t think you can overstate just how much of an impact it can have just to give a kid some hope that can achieve.

Best Advice

Share with us the best advice that you ever received (about life, career, or whatever)? 
One came from Bob Feele who was the News Director at KATV in Little Rock Arkansas. He told me this on the University of Arkansas campus in my senior year, “Don’t ever let perfect get in the way of good.” He was talking about my resume reel at the time but I’ve found out that applies to so many things in life. You can even apply that to relationships. Women might have a perfect guy right in front of them but he’s 5’11 and they wanted 6’3”.

The other is from mom and she told me that there is more to life than recess. She actually told me that in regards to a relationship but that applies to so many other things as well. People often get caught up in the whole “This is life. I only have one shot. I have to enjoy myself.” And she explained that there’s more to life than recess. It’s fine to have a good time but there’s so much more going on and you have responsibilities and things you need to take care of.

Keli Goff is a political blogger for TheLoop21.com. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence (Basic Books, March 2008). She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and previously served as an editorial contributor to RushmoreDrive.com. Keli can be seen regularly on national news programs including Anderson Cooper 360, The CBS Early Show, Lou Dobbs and BET.

Will you watch all of CNN's 'Black in America 2'?

Yes, it'll be better

Maybe, depends on what I hear

No, the first was terrible

I'm not sure yet