William Johnson sits behind the anchor desk at CBS19.

Update, May 23, 2024: Johnson no longer works for CBS19. He is facing accusations of indecency with a child. Read the latest here. 

For East Texas native William Johnson — who is the newest anchor of CBS19’s Morning Y’all — nothing is more important than a good, strong cup of coffee and most importantly, his faith.

“I would say my faith is what makes me more authentic than anything else,” said Johnson, who made his debut on the local station’s morning show earlier this month. “I think it gives viewers a unique perspective into the kind of person I am.”

Johnson’s day typically begins early — around 1:30 or 2 a.m. — with a cup of java and his Bible. Then he gets dressed, heads to the studio and gets ready for the 5 a.m. show.

CBS 19’s Morning Y’all premiered in March as a way for the early-bird viewers to get their news. The segment airs 5 to 7 a.m. on weekdays Monday through Friday, with a noon show from 12 to 12:30 p.m.

Johnson anchored his first show on Nov. 7, which happened to be Election Day — a hectic day in any newsroom.

“It was a little stressful but it was honestly a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “… I appreciate being thrown into a situation, head-on rather than having someone holding my hand for a while.”

Johnson’s start to journalism wasn’t straightforward. It started at KETK in Tyler, when he was just 18 years old.

“I started in the news… right out of high school and worked for another local station in the area,” he said. “But really just when it came down to it, I was just kind of thrown into it. It wasn’t something I was expecting, it wasn’t something that I was planning for.”

While working at KETK, Johnson said one of the biggest things that changed him as a journalist was when Tyler ISD changed the names of the high schools.

“It was probably one of the biggest stories to happen in this area,” he said. “The reason why I loved it so much is because you really saw a clear divide in the community over the issue. You had people on one side wanting to preserve the history of the town, and then you saw people on the other side saying, ‘we need to be better than we were in the past.’ So it really made me broaden my understanding of what journalism is, which at its core is fair and balanced.”

Eventually, opportunities led Johnson to Bryan-College Station, as he was interested in pursuing politics in college but at one point, he was dealing with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Lost and directionless, Johnson prayed every night.

His prayers led him to TEGNA sister station KAGS Bryan-College Station where he was a multi-skilled journalist and anchor, covering a variety of topics and issues.

“I think one of the biggest things that I loved covering was the election,” Johnson said. “Being able to speak with candidates in the area and getting to know them more on a personal level and why people should care about them and vote for them.”

According to Johnson, two months ago, he was told of an opening in Tyler. Even though he was unsure of his age and level of experience, he applied.

CBS19 News Director Mateo Gamboa said he knew Johnson was the right anchor for the job.

“From the moment I first saw him audition with (Morning Y’all co-anchor) Mariah Conduff, I knew he was going to be the perfect person to join the Morning Y’all team,” Gamboa said. “William brings high energy, professionalism, and a community focus.”

Johnson wasn’t sure he wanted to come back to East Texas, but everything fell into place.

“I didn’t know at the time that I wanted to go back,” he said. “But I found that the Lord was asking me to go back. So it was just really another prayer being answered and I’m happy to be home.”

In a field where journalists are expected to be objective, Johnson believes being true to his faith is being true to himself and to his viewers.

“At the end of the day, I can safely say that I would rather lose my job and live selflessly for other people and for God mostly than keep my job and live my life solely for myself,” he said.

He understands there is a lot of mistrust in journalism these days, but hopes the community understands the process of what goes into storytelling.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into journalism that people who aren’t in this field really don’t realize. We have to speak with sources. We have to research a lot of information that we learn, and we have to deliver it in a way so that almost everyone can understand and somewhat relate to it,” Johnson said. “Facts are only a portion of the truth, they don’t paint the whole story. Our job as journalists is to gather the facts, but more importantly, to look at the whole truth and present it to people.”

With family spread across Tyler, Ben Wheeler, Hawkins and beyond, Johnson is an East Texan through and through — something Gamboa appreciates in his newest anchor.

“William brings a passion for impactful storytelling to our newsroom,” Gamboa said. “(He) also has a passion for politics and being a voice for those who are challenging the status quo in East Texas.”

Originally from Houston, Johnson moved to Tyler in middle school and could not imagine living anywhere else.

As for Johnson’s biggest fans?

“My parents, I would say, are probably my biggest supporters,” he said. “My grandparents are a close second. I think at first they really didn’t understand the news, but once I told them why I love it so much, they understood more about why I’m doing this.”

At 22 years old, Johnson knows he hasn’t quite figured life out just yet, but as long as he has his faith, he plans on following wherever God takes him.

“For anyone out there who doesn’t have a sense of direction… that’s OK. You don’t have to have everything figured out at a young age,” he said. “What will take you further is actually not having everything figured out. What will take you further at the end of the day is a combination of drive, hard work and, most importantly, humility.”

You can watch Johnson behind the anchor desk weekdays on “Morning Y’all” from 5 to 7 a.m. and on The Noon Show. If you have a question or a story idea for Johnson, email him at wjohnson1@cbs19.tv.

Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WilliamJohnsonNews.