Cecile S. Holmes
Associate Professor
Electronic and Print Journalism Sequence

B.A., Journalism, University of South Carolina
MA., Liberal Studies, University of North Carolina

A Columbia native and veteran journalist, Holmes has served as lead instructor for The Carolina Reporter. She also specializes in teaching advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in writing and faith, values and the mass media. As a journalist and a teacher, she is especially interested in religion, diversity and multiculturalism.

Through her courses in writing, reporting and narrative journalism, she tries to help students see the world from a diverse, global perspective. In May 2006, she led a Student Journalist Study Tour to Jordan. Visit the Jordan Web site>

Holmes, former religion editor of the Houston Chronicle, specializes in research related to storytelling, the Nazi Holocaust, religion and media and writing and reporting for newspapers and new media. Nominated seven times for a Pulitzer Prize, she has more than 20 years of experience in reporting and editing.

She is working on her third book, focusing on the spiritual and personal memories of World War II veterans. Her second book, “Four Women, Three Faiths,” was published in 2006. Copies of that book, donated by her to Interfaith Community Services of South Carolina will be used to raise money in spring 2011 for that ministry, which serves families and children across the Palmetto State.

Holmes, a past president of the national Religion Newswriters Association, serves on the RNA’s Council of Presidents and as liaison for the RNA to the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. She is program chairwoman for the AEJMC’s Religion and Media Interest Group. She is a new member of the Racial Healing Work Group of the S.C. Christian Action Council, the state’s interfaith justice and service organization.

She believes deeply in the power of words and action for justice, healing and cross cultural/ interfaith cooperation. “Four Women, Three Faith” tells the stories of four women of three faiths and explores Holmes’ own search for spiritual mentors. The women featured hail from four states and three religions, including Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

In “Witnesses to the Horror: North Carolinians Remember the Holocaust,” Holmes delves into the stories of Holocaust survivors and concentration camp liberators. It was reported while she was working for the Greensboro News & Record in North Carolina.

E-mail:
cholmes@sc.edu

Office:
Phone: 803.777.5913
Fax: 803.777.4103
Room: Coliseum 4004

Hours:
By appointment.

Syllabi:
Journalism 532 - Reporting Public Affairs Across Media

Jour 540 - Magazine Writing

On the Web:
Dateline Carolina
Narrative Journalism