Phil Jones knew he wanted to be a broadcast journalist for a long time. As a child, he used to set up a room at his house and pretended to read the news on the radio.
His first gig in broadcasting was while he attended Indian University. He was the color commentator for the Indiana Sports Network, where he called games with Dick Enberg.
After graduating, Jones started reporting for WCCO TV, a CBS affiliate in Minnesota. After seven years, he left the local network for CBS. He lived and reported in Vietnam, China and Washington, D.C. After covering the government in D.C., he joined the team on “48 Hours.”
Jones has won seven Emmys for his work in journalism, and after retiring, he continued to appear on television as a contributing correspondent for the PBS series, “Religion and Ethics News.”
He recently underwent a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with MDS. Jones was the oldest person to receive this treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center, and two years later he is in remission. He attributes his health to Moffitt, saying, “My medical miracle is unbelievable.”