A collection of quotes and thoughts by Anderson Cooper on action, journalism, travel, progress, danger, death, humanity, activism, pride, visible, despair and politics.
82 Notable Quotes By Anderson Cooper That Will Shape Your Perspective
Anderson Cooper, who anchors the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°, is the face American journalism and news media. In his long association with the CNN network, he hosted the eponymous show ‘Anderson Live’ for a brief period. Cooper covered several iconic moments in the history of American news network such as ‘Coverage of Hurricane Katrina’, ‘Tsunami’, ‘Haiti Earthquake’, ‘Funeral of Princess Diana’ and ‘Famine in Somalia’. Apart from his exploits in the field of journalism, Cooper is also a sought after television celebrity and successful author. Many would remember him from the cameos he played in the hit movies ‘Chappie’ and ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’. His award tally includes honors such as ‘Emmy Award’, ‘Peabody Award’, ‘National Headliner Award’, ‘Bronze Telly Awards’ and many more. Apart from these accolades, Cooper received ‘National Order of Honor and Merit’ from the Government of Haiti and ‘GLAAD Media Award’ from Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Let us go through some of the most enlightening quotes and sayings from this legendary anchor and news reporter from CNN, giving a glimpse of his mind. Take a look at the most sought-after quotations and thoughts by Anderson Cooper which have been excerpted from his interviews, writings, work and life.
I suppose if you've never bitten your nails, there isn't any way to explain the habit. It's not enjoyable, really, but there is a certain satisfaction - pride in a job well done.
I've always loved reporting from the field most of all. There's something about doing live TV and being there as it happens that's always appealed to me. I think there's great value to bearing witness to these events as they're actually happening.
My dad grew up really poor in Mississippi. I paid attention to that because I thought that's a healthier thing to pay attention to than, like, some statue of a great-great-great grandfather who has no connection to my life.
If I'm hip, we've got a problem in this country. I really shouldn't be held up as any model of hipness. If anything, I think I'm sort of old school in my approach to objective reporting and not wearing my opinion on my sleeve. There's a lot of that in American TV news these days. Too much, in fact.
I think you have to be yourself, and you have to be real and you have to admit what you don't know, and talk about what you do know, and talk about what you don't know as long as you say you don't know it.
I think the notion of traditional anchor is fading away - the all-knowing, all-seeing person who speaks from on high. I don't think the audience really buys that anymore. As a viewer, I know I don't buy it.
I can begin to understand how anchor monsters are made. If you're not careful, you can become used to being treated as though you're special and begin to expect it.
I think it's a good thing that there are bloggers out there watching very closely and holding people accountable. Everyone in the news should be able to hold up to that kind of scrutiny. I'm for as much transparency in the newsgathering process as possible.
The world reacts very strangely to people they see on TV, and I can begin to understand how anchor monsters are made. If you're not careful, you can become used to being treated as though you're special and begin to expect it. For a reporter, that's the kiss of death.
When I was younger, I talked to the adults around me that I respected most about how they got where they were, and none of them plotted a course they could have predicted, so it seemed a waste of time to plan too long-term. Since then, I've always gone on my instincts.
When a big event happens, people turn on to CNN, not only because they know there will be people there covering an event on the ground, but because they know we're going to cover it in a way that's non-partisan, that's not left or right.
I don't have much experience, but the few times when I would go on a date with a girl - like when I was 12 - there was a lot of sharing, and a lot of talking, and a lot of asking how I am. They thought we were dating, and I was sort of hoping to meet their brothers.
Not to sound too Dr. Phil all of a sudden, but I think the key to survival is to embrace one's past and to not run away from it. And to come to some sort of relationship with it or understanding of it.
Our skin is very thin. It doesn't take much for us to jump off a ledge or to kill one another. It can happen very, very quickly.
Anderson Cooper
I tend to relate more to people on television who are just themselves, for good or for bad, than I do to someone who I believe is putting on some sort of persona. The anchorman on 'The Simpsons' is a reasonable facsimile of some anchors who have that problem.
I understand why people might be interested. But I just don't talk about my personal life. It's a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life.
Obviously I was well aware that I had what people consider a privileged upbringing. My mom was never a bake-cookies sort of mom. I really had no reins whatsoever.
I realized I didn't want there to be anything left unsaid with my mom. I didn't want there to be questions that I still had about who she was and what her life was like. And I didn't want her to have questions about me as an adult.
When you lose a parent at ten years old, the world seems like a much scarier place. It makes complete sense to me that I took survival courses when I was a teenager and started going to war zones as a reporter. I didn't ever want to be taken advantage of, and I wanted to be able to take care of those around me.
There's just a proliferation of blogs and the chattering classes and people talking. More avenues for people to make their feelings known, which is good.
Anderson Cooper
I don't want to do anything that puts my team members, my camera people or producers, in danger, so it's an ongoing dialogue on all the stories that we do.
There's a number of places I've wanted to go but it's been determined too risky or that I'm relatively well-known, and therefore it might not be wise for me to pop up in this place.
I don't believe in letting fear dictate what you do, but that doesn't mean you don't feel afraid or frightened. I think it's normal and healthy to be afraid in situations.
I have no interest in jumping out of an airplane or any of the things people do for thrills, to push their limits and all that. To me, that seems foolish, and there's no point.
There was a time when I first started when I made a fake press pass and borrowed a camera and headed into wars, and for three years, that was the only kind of story I was interested in doing.
There are some things which are so horrific that some people feel they can't do anything about it: that the natural, understandable response is to tune it out.
Anderson Cooper
I personally tend to be drawn to stories that aren't paid much attention to, or stories that aren't on people's radar.
Each child’s story is worthy of telling. There shouldn’t be a sliding scale of death. The weight of it is crushing.
Anderson Cooper
It was important to me and, I think, important to my parents that I be on my own and figure things out on my own and kind of forge my own path, and I'm really grateful for that.
I think my mom and dad both wanted to get across to me that... I obviously grew up with great privilege and was very lucky and was able to afford college and not have student loans, and they would pay for college, but beyond that, it would be up to me to make a living.
The tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible.
Anderson Cooper
I rarely asks people for advice or permission when I'm planning on doing something I feel strongly about. That only opens the plan up to be crapped on.
In a perfect world, I don't think it [one's sexual orientation] is anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted.
Politics was his passion, but he wasn't suited for the rough-and-tumble of the game. He felt things too deeply. There was no wall between his head and his heart.
