Holmes’ Advice: Don’t Emulate Others

What’s Happening at CNN has a Q&A with new anchor TJ Holmes. Here’s an excerpt:

For those still working their way to the big time, what advice would you give them to help them along the way? I always tell people to make up their mind that broadcast news is what they want to do, and make up your mind early… I have seen so many friends and former classmates drop out of the business because their careers didn’t progress like they thought they might, and they quit. So, these people have spent 4 or 5 years in college and then a few years in broadcast news, only to quit. I recommend people commit to it, realize that it may be tough, and hopefully, it will work out. Be yourself. People often try to emulate others they see on TV. It’s perfectly fine to study others in the industry, but people often lose some of their own individuality. A news director can find plenty of potential employees who are just like everybody else. But if you can simply be yourself, you stand out because there is nobody out there who is just like you.

Here is the full interview…

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