Mike Holden

About

Mike Holden is an Emmy, Murrow & AP award winning journalist who returned home to Cleveland, joining WEWS News 5 in July of 2022.It’s a “homecoming” by every definition of the word. Mike was born in Cleveland and raised in Parma. During college at Kent State, he interned at News 5 in the Troubleshooter unit. Mike's news mentality is simple. He wants to bring you a live, active, evolving experience that makes you stop what you're doing and want to watch to see what will happen next. Before joining the Scripps ABC legacy station, he spent six years reporting and anchoring at WPXI Channel 11 in Pittsburgh where he covered a number of major stories. From the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge—to the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting—to the death of rapper Mac Miller— to the sinkhole that swallowed up a PAT bus, Mike makes it a priority to tell the stories that impact you.His work has earned him a number of team and individual awards including Emmys for "Best Reporter” in both 2022 and 2020, “Best Spot News” and “Best Morning Show.” Piror to his arrival in the Steel City, Mike spent two years as a Reporter/Weekend Anchor at WTOL in Toledo, Ohio. While there—he was awarded The Ohio Associated Press’ “Best Reporter” in 2016.Before he even moved into his home, Mike started work early. He covered Toledo's water crisis-a news event that garnered international attention and prompted immediate changes regarding the water quality monitoring situation along the Great Lakes. His contributions to team coverage earned him an Emmy nomination. Mike was also given the opportunity to cover Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to the United States. He was embedded with families from Ohio as they traveled to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.Breaking news is by far Mike's greatest passion.His breaking news reports earned him a 1st place award from the Ohio Associated Press as well as an Emmy nomination.He started his on-air career at WJET in the "Flagship City" - Erie, Pennsylvania.Mike has never been afraid to jump right into a story. (He literally cannon balled into Lake Erie on New Year's Day in subzero temps and trained with the Lake Erie Rescue Dive Team.)He even went undercover and lived as a homeless adult to shine a light on the lack of bed space and resources. His investigation improved how the homeless register for care and get access to shelters in Erie. Mike graduated cum laude from Kent State with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and participated in TV2 News. He’s a proud 2008 graduate of Holy Name High School.