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Cover Story
Photo Amy Dies •
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"Television is a wonderful medium.
You are a reporter, a historian and in a
way you are a bit of a teacher because you are
helping to explain and describe
1 : what is happening. Even more importantly,
iK you are explaining why it is significant
* and why people should care."
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CNN S by
Ulmer
Bill Hemmer came home from fifth grade one
afternoon and quietly walked upstairs to his bedroom in his family's Cincinnati residence.
He intently calculated a formula, plugging in a specific number of years and days. Then
he came downstairs to report his results to his father, who was then in his mid-30s.
“He said, 'Dad, if you stop smoking today, by the time you are 50, your
lungs will be pink,”’ recalls his mother, Georganne Hemmer. “He hasn’t
smoked since then.”
It’s these very characteristics —preparation, a convincing pre
sentation, honesty, compassion and even confrontation—demon
strated by Hemmer at age 11 that have helped him emerge as
one of the most respected news anchors in America. As co-host
of CNN's American Morning with Soledad O’Brien, he has a
front-row seat at history in the making, whether it’s the funerals
of President Reagan or Pope John Paul 11, the aftermath of Sept.
11 or the elections in Iraq.
“I'm exceedingly lucky to have die job that I have, to not only
explain to people what is happening and put words with the pic
tures, but also to be able to stop and think. This is a moment in
world history. They are to be cherished,”' says Hemmer, 40, who
is celebrating his l()th anniversary with CNN this year. 'That’s
the reason I'm in this business, to be there when those moments happen.”
When Hemmer wakes each weekday at 4 a.m., he never knows what breaking news
story might be waiting at the office. That’s why he s[sends two hours each morning
reading the latest news reports and researching the morning’s topics, in addition to the
hours he spends each night preparing for the next day's show. "People ask me all the
time. How do you get ready for a show?’” says Hemmer, an admitted news junkie.
“Preparation is your best defense because you are the last line of defense when it comes
to accuracy, because once it comes out of your mouth, you can’t pull it back. That is our
number one responsibility here as anchors and correspondents: to know what we re talk
ing about and to be able to communicate in a way that other people can understand.”
Midwestern values
What sets Hemmer apart from many other national anchors is his earnest optimism
and cheerful demeanor. Although he loves living in New York, he's retained his Middle
America charm and values. “When Johnny Carson passed away, everyone who came on
our air talked about his Midwest sensibility,” Hemmer says. “I don’t know what that
is or how you define it, but I am certain it lias something to do with how you relate to
other people. Despite the amount of technology that continues to surround our lives, in
so many ways the success or failure of an individual is dependent upon how they interact
with others.
“So if that is what defines Midwest sensibility, I think I’ll take it,” says Hemmer,
who notes that he enjoys in-person interviews more than those conducted via satellite. "I
think die process is helped so much when two people can just sit across from each other
and talk with one another. Do they teach you that just in the Midwest? No. But maybe
I’ve been able to carry a lot of that with me still.”
Hemmer’s Midwestern sensibilities are reflected in what he values in others, says
Soledad O’Brien, his co-anchor. “He's less interested in flash and more interested in
people who have at their core kindness, generosity—people who are hard working,” she
says. "He's a dedicated listener—really interested in what other people have to say, where
( ~v F mm
P i Wm
A football champ in 4th grade.
Page 6
•American Profile
Photo courtesy of Bill Hemmer