If you're up and about long before the crack of dawn on any given weekday morning, you may see CBS news anchor Chris Wragge hitting the road and heading off to work. Born in Hackensack and raised in Rutherford, Chris moved to Mahwah as a teen and graduated from Mahwah High School. He now lives in Wyckoff with his wife, Sarah, son Christian, age 5, and daughter Wynn, age 1.
The anchor of CBS 2 News This Morning and CBS 2 News at Noon attended the University of New Hampshire on a football scholarship. "I was a backup quarterback and a wide receiver," says Chris. "I noticed the local sportscasters interviewing key players on the team, and I realized that this was a job I would like." Chris applied for an internship with WMUR in Manchester and eventually landed a position there.
Since New Hampshire kicks off the presidential primaries, the station accommodated all of the presidential candidates. "It was a great place to hatch a career—especially because of the largesse of the political scene," says Chris. "Pretty nice gig for a 22-year-old!"
A few years later, Chris was offered the opportunity for a screen test for Entertainment Tonight. He got the job and moved out to Los Angeles. "Professionally, it was an exhilarating four years of my life," he says. "I had been a sportscaster up to that point. Covering entertainment, I met everyone on the red carpet at the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. I had the opportunity to go on set visits to feature "up and comers" like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. I enjoyed covering events like the Super Bowl from an entertainment angle rather than a sports perspective."
Now settled into the morning routine at CBS, Chris still notes his appreciation for having a front-row seat to so many current events. He's covered major happenings, including the "Miracle on the Hudson" landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York, and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. "My career has been an instrumental part of my life and has helped shape me as a person. I love what I do," he says.
"Each area of newscasting has its own joys and challenges. Sportscasters get a chance to document people's achievements each day, but the evening news emphasizes people's failures. Some of the bad news stays with you forever. That's the downside of the job."
The tragedy at Sandy Hook made a profound impact on Chris. "I never had a time when my heart broke as much as when I followed that story. Times like that remind us to appreciate the special moments we have with our families each day."
As a native New Jerseyan, Chris knows his audience. "When you deliver news in the tri-state area, you can't sugar-coat the topics. Lately, there hasn't been much good news, but one of my values stems from being a byproduct of New Jersey—we just get to the point! People from New Jersey can handle it because we are all like-minded in that way. We use the information to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families.
In contrast to managing the highs and lows of news broadcasting, Chris enjoys immersing himself in charitable efforts. "I have wonderful relationships with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Diabetes Research Institute, the National Down Syndrome Society, and Mahwah High School athletics. I'm also proud to be on the Board of Trustees for the new Valley Hospital that is under construction in Paramus. These initiatives are all a great part of my job. I'm very fortunate. I've worked hard, and nothing was given to me. But, giving back—that's one of the greatest parts of my job!"
cbsnews.com
