Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Cohen
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve dreamed of being a TV News Anchor/Reporter since I was 8-years-old. My dad, a singer and guitarist, often performed at local San Diego news stations, and I would sit behind the news desk, pretending to be a news anchor. My mom took me to red carpet events in L.A., where I would stand outside the fence with a hairbrush as my microphone, pretending to be a reporter. I pursued this passion by majoring in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Kansas, which led to an internship at a Kansas City news station and my first TV anchor/reporter job in Topeka, Kansas. I later became a Morning Anchor in Spokane, Washington, hosting my own pop culture show called “The A-List.” From there, I moved on to Jackson, Tennessee, as a Prime-time Evening Anchor, where I created segments like “What’s New Wednesday” and “Multiplying Good.”
I was also one of only five in the nation chosen to interview celebrities at red carpet events such as The Grammys and the Academy Awards. My work has been featured on national true crime shows like “Snapped,” “Fatal Attraction,” and “Fear Thy Roommate,” and my interview with World Cup soccer champion Alex Morgan was highlighted on Netflix. Eventually, I fulfilled my childhood dream by reporting for three years in my hometown of San Diego. Now, I’ve taken an entrepreneurial path, focusing on social media influencing and national projects, including an upcoming Toyota project with a media agency in New York City. I’m excited to see where this next chapter takes me!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, it has never been a smooth road! For many years, I felt my voice held me back. News reporters have to have a certain authoritative type of voice on air. When I was younger, kids would always make fun of my voice for being high pitch and monotone. So, I always feared my actual voice wasn’t “newsy” enough and it held me back. Straight out of college graduation, I worked at 24 Hour Fitness and Title Boxing Club, even though I knew my true passion was to become a news anchor/reporter. I didn’t know how to land a news job. I talked to a friend who advised me to get an internship at a news station. I had already had 5 other internships, at advertising agencies, etc. I thought I couldn’t get an internship since I already graduated college and they only do it for college credit. I then got the idea to enroll in a community college broadcast journalism course, so that I could get the internship. I did just that, landed an internship in Kansas City and the rest is history. It was this pivotal move that led me to the start of my career. There have been bumps on the way. News is a crazy world of layoffs, budget cuts and constant change. You never know what can happen and you must roll with the punches. I’ve moved around unexpectedly to multiple cities without any friends or family to chase my career dreams. It hasn’t been easy and there are still bumps in the road to this day. No one has a guide book, we are all out here winging it! It makes the moment of reaching the goal that much greater!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I recently started my own company, The A-List, Inc., where I draw on my experience as a three-time Emmy-winning TV News Anchor/Reporter to help businesses with videography, editing, social media, podcasting, and more. I’m also passionate about giving back and have begun teaching broadcast journalism to local students in underserved areas, focusing on video equipment and sports media to support future generations. I work independently, managing every aspect of video production—from shooting and editing to scriptwriting and social media—all on a deadline! My strengths lie in reporting, video editing, writing, and interviewing, and I’m most grateful for the chance to work in my home city and fulfill my dream of interviewing celebrities on the red carpet.
In my spare time, I am dedicated to giving a voice to the voiceless by emceeing and hosting a wide range of local and national events, including Go Red for Women, Filipino festivals, San Diego Swim Week, Asian Pacific Cultural Week, fundraising galas, leadership conferences, and more.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
-You have to accept that failure will happen and you can’t be afraid of it. Anyone that becomes successful has failed along the way, in fact, it’s the only way to achieve success.
-You HAVE to have thick skin, especially, working in news or TV. People will call you mean names, threaten you, try to cancel you; you name it, I’ve heard it!
-Always be positive and go with the flow. Challenges will happen, if you go in knowing that, you will prevail.
-Also, only rely on yourself. You can’t rely on anyone to be successful except you and never be attached to a company. To a company, you are just a number. Always follow your heart and your true passions until they make money.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arianacohen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianacohen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaAlexaCohen/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arianaalexacohen
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/arianacohen
