Upon revealing that she used to fabricate sideline reports when she was working as an NFL reporter, Charissa Thompson has received a deluge of backlash from other reporters and media professionals taking umbrage towards her actions. 97.1 The Ticket co-hosts Mike Stone and Jon Jansen discussed whether or not the admission was egregious.
Stone noted the “firestorm” on social media, specifically from other women who are sideline reporters and work hard to gain pertinent information and garner credibility. People have a right to be perturbed and annoyed at the situation, according to Stone, who expounded on the role of a sideline reporter that some viewers may not realize spans beyond the on-camera appearances for each contest.
“They provide a really important service to the broadcast,” the Stoney & Jansen host argued. “Probably more important than when they go down on the field and do their little Q & A’s with the coaches and things.”
Jon Jansen used to be a sideline reporter on broadcasts and remembers how difficult it was to obtain information. At the same time though, he understands the importance of providing context for reports, such as when a team deems a player as questionable to return to a game with an injury, in addition to relaying vital observations and actualizations to the producer and director.
“I had to do this for Northwestern/Michigan State, and you’re trying to build credibility with those individuals and trying to build a rapport with them so they will give you a little tidbit,” Jon Jansen said. “You’re not going to get the grand-slam information, but then you put in the legwork, you put in the effort, [and] you try and build those relationships, and then all of a sudden somebody’s just making it up? Like, what? It’s offensive to anybody that has ever put in that legwork on the sidelines, especially coming out of halftime.”
While reporters will disseminate what they are told, it is also fundamental for them to know what to do when they are unsuccessful in this endeavor and follow what is widely accepted as a best practice. Having worked in the role and playing in the NFL as an offensive tackle, Jansen has witnessed how coaches act entering the second half of a game.
“Coaches don’t want to talk to you,” Jon Jansen said. “I don’t care who it is [or] how personable the coach is – they don’t want to talk to you. If you’re able to build a relationship with them, then you’re able to get a comment coming out of halftime. [If] they’re going to pass you by [on] something, then that’s the report. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t get anything from said coach.’”
