Phil Jones, Former CBS News Correspondent, Passes Away at 87

Phil Jones, a CBS News correspondent for more than 30 years, has passed away at the age of 87. Jones died over the weekend at his home in Florida, leaving behind a son, Paul, and a daughter, Pam.

The dedicated journalist joined CBS News in 1967, during an era where Walter Cronkite was anchoring the CBS Evening News. Jones was considered one of “Cronkite’s Kids.” Shortly after joining CBS, he won an Emmy for his coverage of the war in Vietnam.

Jones gained recognition for his reporting on the political maneuvers in Washington, starting with Watergate. He served as White House correspondent during the Ford administration and later covered the impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton.

Known for his tenacity, Jones followed stories to their core. As a “48 Hours” correspondent, he even rode a mule through Burma in search of a drug kingpin.

Colleague Eric Engberg remarked on Jones’ departure when he retired in 2001 after 32 years at CBS News. “Every lying, conniving, thieving, sniveling politician in Washington is going to sleep better with you gone,” Engberg said at the time.