Cody Combs
WTAJ, Altoona
Age: 27
Current position: Reporter
Hometown: Alliance, Ohio
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas, 2004, in Ohio
College: Syracuse University, master's degree in broadcast journalism, 2012
My first job in TV: News assistant at CNN's Washington Bureau
How I landed in my present job: "I was an intern during the summer of 2012 as WTAJ's beat reporter from Washington, DC."
My earliest influences in TV were: Dick Cavett, Wolf Blitzer and George Stephanopoulos
The most interesting person I ever interviewed was: George McGovern
What I like best about my job: "There's something different almost every day and I'm constantly learning. The camaraderie of a newsroom is unique to journalism, and it's something special."
What I dislike most about my job: Technical glitches
How the TV business has changed: "I started at an entry level position at CNN in 2007, from my perspective the transition to high definition has been more complicated than many anticipated."
Advice I could give to someone interested in making TV a career: "Watch and read as much news as you can. Find some reporters you like and find out what they do well, try to emulate that, but be yourself."
