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Authentic, Approachable Anthony

NBC12 news anchor Anthony Antoine exudes kindness, optimism and sincerity on and off the air

For Anthony Antoine, style is much more than what he wears.

Not that what he wears isn’t stunning, always. His job as NBC12 news anchor requires him to dress up, and he’s probably best known for his business suit look. Anthony takes that on-air standard a step further: “My shirt and tie always match my pocket square and socks,” he says. He confesses to owning 7-10 pairs of dress shoes and 25 pairs of footwear in all, including casual shoes and sneakers. He likes to pin a flower on his lapel, “to add a little something,” and he remarks with a laugh, “It’s like branding. People will ask, ‘Where’s the flower?’” Even on days at home in Midlothian, he notes: “You’ve got to make yourself presentable.” Especially in running shorts, his preferred weekend attire.

But that’s just “style” in the most obvious (and, one might say, superficial) sense.

His professional style is a blend of humility and hard work, as illustrated by a story Anthony tells about how he got into journalism. His first job was in sales, which some might consider the antithesis of journalism. Initially, he peddled office products; later, he was promoted into a market development position for a company in Illinois. But Anthony, who graduated with a degree in telecommunications from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, wanted to work in TV news. He’d interned at CBS in Los Angeles, working on Entertainment Tonight, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, so he took on a part-time job as a camera operator at the local CBS affiliate in Champaign. Once at the TV station, he set his sights on becoming a reporter.

“On weekends, I’d follow reporters and do my version of their story,” he said. “I learned how to shoot, write, edit, the whole nine. Then each week when I had time, I'd always send my version of that same story to the news director.”

So, wait: Let’s get this straight. That’s 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday doing sales, followed by 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. as a cameraman, and then re-reporting and packaging stories on weekends. For the better part of a year.

Not surprisingly, the hard work paid off.

"I made myself the obvious choice, so when a reporter left, the news director had no choice but to hire me because I could literally do everything,” Anthony says. “It was a seamless transition, because I put the hard work in. I'm not going to lie to you, it wasn't fun working two jobs for eight months and sacrificing my weekends, but at the end of it, I got what I wanted."

Anthony, a three-time Emmy winner, looks back on his inauspicious start with typical humility and honesty. “I actually told the recruiter twice, ‘I don’t want to do sales.' But it’s really helpful for a news person to have worked knocking on doors. If you can cut it in sales, you can do anything.”

Anthony’s can-do, positive attitude was forged early in life. He spent his first 10 years in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean, raised with his brother by their single mother, Sharon.

“We didn’t grow up with much. But no one ever knew it,” Anthony says. “My mother was hellbent on making sure we were presentable from head to toe when we left the house - haircuts, nice jeans. That really stuck with me. When you look good and feel good you have this sense of confidence.” His family emigrated from the islands when he was 10, starting out life in the States in a basement apartment in Jersey City.

Now in Richmond after six years at the Champaign station, Anthony brings a relaxed, approachable style to his high-profile and (some might say) glamorous job.

“I approach every day with a sense of optimism. A lot of positivity is at the core of who I am,” he says. “To be honest, the news industry can be very heavy. It’s a lot to consume, day in and day out, and you’re always connected to it. I try to offset some of the negativity of it.”

His positive style is hard to miss. "Anthony brings energy in the morning - even at 4 a.m.," says Candice Smith, morning traffic anchor and 12 About Town Today anchor, who's known Anthony for three years. "He enters the studio with music playing from his phone, and you never know what kind of music you’ll get! Although he likes to have fun, he is very passionate about news and making sure the accurate story is told each and every day."

One way Anthony offsets the negative part of the news is by reporting stories of inspiration and compassion, like Acts of Kindness, which airs Tuesdays at 5 p.m. These stories focus on a “hometown hero” making a difference in the community, with those featured receiving a gift of cash and a restaurant gift certificate as a thank you from NBC12.

 “The people in our community, doing good like this, they need to be acknowledged,” Anthony says.

He recalls a story he did in Champaign on Make a Wish, which drew him to volunteer with the organization. “I can get emotionally attached to things and people when the mission is aligned with my values,” he admits. “These kids are going through so much, things they didn’t sign up for, and they fight so hard. It’s hard not to want to be involved.”

Anthony also volunteered as a mentor in the schools in Champaign, drawing so close to two boys in particular that he struggled to leave them when he moved to RVA. Now, he’s participated in events at Richmond schools and helped to promote the Autism Society of Central Virginia. “I want to use my voice and my platform to help fill the gaps,” he says.

Ann Flippin, executive director of the autism society, is enthusiastic about Anthony and his involvement with the organization. “Anthony is a talented, passionate, dedicated emcee who always goes above and beyond at our events, interacting with individuals with autism and their families and making everyone feel special,” she says. "His compassion and genuine support of our local autism community are incredible.”

At one autism society function, Anthony met Eli Barnum and invited him to help kick off the 5K portion of the event. Later, Anthony invited Eli and his mother on an NBC12 station tour. "He even let Eli do the weather and record his voice," Eli's mother, Jennifer, recalls. "He made Eli feel like a rock star. ... Eli thinks of Anthony as a true friend - because he treats him like one."

Anthony also did an Act of Kindness installment on Ann Flippin's brother, Jamie, who is autistic. "I was amazed by how well Anthony responded to him, and grateful for his compassion for our community, to share our important story,” Ann says.

Anthony is similarly engaging with his viewers, who recognize him when he’s out and about – but typically, not on sight. “People don’t recognize my face,” Anthony laughs. “They won’t notice until they hear my voice. I’ll be at Kroger, and I’ll hear, ‘Anthony,’ and I’ll just interact.” He quotes author Maya Angelou, famous for a comment about on how “people will never forget how you made them feel,” as he continues: “Whether it’s one minute or five minutes, I make sure I have a genuine interaction and get to know my viewers.”

But that guy in Kroger – is that the real Anthony Antoine, the same as the anchor on TV? Anthony says he is, calling himself “an open book,” and his wife concurs. "He is exactly who he shows himself to be – through and through,” says Briaunna Antoine, a career coach at Brightpoint Community College (formerly John Tyler). “He is genuinely that warmhearted, welcome, fun to be around, loving, genuine person that he puts out on TV.” Colleague Candice Smith agrees: "He is always authentically him - on and off the screen."

Off-Air Anthony unplugs from the stress of the news and recharges by spending time in nature. “I’m a huge outdoors person. I am a fish, a child of the ocean. I love the freeness of the water – it’s a metaphor for who I am,” Anthony says. “When I’m at the ocean, I’ll wake up early and watch the sun come up over the water. One day of that can last me a week.”

When he’s not near water, he’s running or biking or enjoying time with Briaunna and their two “designer mutts,” Daisy and Jaxson. The couple, married since 2015, like to try new restaurants, travel, and visit family in New Jersey and Ohio.

This, in a nutshell, is Anthony. “Approachability. Kindness. Sincerity. Passion. That’s my style,” he says.

And that’s the message he delivers, over and over, to the young people he mentors. “I was told a lot, I wasn’t good enough, ‘not what we’re looking for.’ I tried to be different versions of me. I’ve compared myself to others, to my own detriment. But I finally decided to just be authentic. Be authentic and true to who you are. The world will adjust to who you are.”

His values are simple: “Show up early. Do the work. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. Run your own race. Don’t look to the left or the right, at the competition. When you do that, you’re not paying attention to yourself, and you’re discounting your own value. Don’t compare yourself to anyone.”

Final thoughts? Anthony doesn’t hesitate. “Look for the good in every day. Because some days, it’s going to be harder.”

Photos of Anthony Antoine and his Emmys are provided courtesy of Michael Crouch of Red Crow Photo

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