TJ Holmes: Journalism With Substance

When T.J. Holmes walked into his freshman Communications class, he probably wouldn’t have guessed he would end up being a recognizable face on CNN and have his own show on BET. But, it was in that class on the campus of the University of Arkansas that he discovered his passion. “I took a mass communications class my freshman year of college and fell in love with the live element of broadcasting, and I haven’t looked back since,” said Holmes to All Things CNN blog. “I had other tangibles that helped. I was always a pretty good writer, and I do have a natural curiosity.”

Unlike a lot of journalists, Holmes doesn’t have a fairytale story, instead, he sees what he wants and he goes after it. “Not sure if I’ve had a “big break.” I’ve had several opportunities and blessings throughout my life and career. I try to seize and appreciate them all,” he said.

In October, Holmes’ new show, “Don’t Sleep” will premiere on BET after months of anticipation. The veteran journalist shocked the world when he left his cushy job at CNN in December. Holmes is hoping to start some important dialogue in the black community and he gave critics a taste of what is to come when at a press tour earlier in the summer.

“Something that drives me crazy is that we are not talking enough about the graduation rates of young black men in this country,” he said as an example. “We are literally losing a generation of young men. . . . When you talk about half of the African American men in this country aren’t graduating from high school, why that’s not a crisis and we are not in crisis level about that is beyond me.”

Although the show is presumably geared towards the interests of black people, Holmes insists the show will be able to appeal to anybody. “We’re not doing necessarily just black stories, if you will, or just black people, but everyone you will see on this show will certainly have something to offer and something relevant to the black community,” he said to EUR Web.

Holmes also hopes to have some important people on his show but they will serve a purpose. If he’s inviting a reality television producer on his show, for instance, they aren’t there to gossip about who is sleeping with who’s spouse. There are real conversations to be had, important ones. “You’ll see members of the White House administration or the Obama administration. You will see big time athletes,” he continued. “You will see actors and actresses, musicians, but people in communities, people that you don’t see enough of on other channels that don’t really have a platform: a black dentist from Atlanta, a black surgeon from Los Angeles. We just want to highlight and show the best that black culture has to offer.”

“Don’t Sleep” seems very promising but Holmes has already had to combat a couple of misconceptions. He has a huge personality and sharp sense of humor that can be seen in his work, including the promos for the show. Consequently, people thought the show would be a black version of “The Colbert Report” or “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, something Holmes vehemently denies. “Absolutely not,” Holmes said when asked about the comparison. “They are studs at what they do but they are comedians, and they are serving a totally different purpose and a totally different audience. There is some journalistic value in much of what they do.”

-Ashleigh Atwell