Thursday, NFL Broadcasters Carissa Thompson said she was fabricating her statements. from a coach while she was working as a sideline reporter. She currently works as a host for Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
“Sometimes I would make up reports because the coach wouldn’t show up at halftime or he would be too late,” she said on the Pardon My Take podcast. She was going to ruin the report, so she thought, “I’ll just make it up.”
Many reporters in the sports world reacted to Thompson’s confession, saying her actions violated journalistic ethics, which never tolerate fabricating information.
USA Today Sports” Mike Freeman wrote about the offense Thompson’s actions caused.
“I had to watch the video multiple times to make sure it wasn’t being pranked. Yes, she said so,” he wrote. “There’s no way Thompson, who’s been doing this job for over 10 years and knows this well, can survive this. This is a shooter. Not even close.”
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Several other sports journalists also took to social media to share why Thompson was wrong.
Andrea Kramer, Lisa Salters and Carissa Thompson say it’s a fabricated report
“I am honored to be a part of this award-winning reporter,” said award-winning reporter Andrea Kremer, who received the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-TV Award in 2018. Explained to X why Thompson’s behavior was offensive.
“As one of only three women in the @ProFootballHOF, I am tired of the derogatory ridicule directed at sideline reporting. This difficult role is primarily held by women. Most understand and respect the value of journalism and are essential and trusted members of the broadcast team.”
Lisa Salters, a veteran journalist who is a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football and has also covered the Super Bowl, said: Posted in X For the first time since March, she shared her thoughts on how Thompson’s admission has left a negative mark on the industry.
“I’m shocked. I’m disappointed. I’m disgusted. What we heard today raises questions for every sideline reporter. My job is an honor, a privilege, and I’ve worked hard to develop my skills.” ” she said. said in two posts.
“Trust and confidence. To journalists they mean everything. In any case, violating any of them not only makes a mockery of the profession, but also brings disgrace to the players, coaches and most importantly the fans.” It is.”
Other journalists are ‘devastated’, call Carissa Thompson’s comments ‘deplorable’
NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen called Thompson’s comments “deplorable” In the post of X.
“I hold myself to the highest standards in everything I do, and I know that my hard-working colleagues do the same,” she said. “We earn respect the hard way. To those who comment on the irrelevant role of sideline reporters, beat it! We are journalists. These actions are not normal.”
Tracy Wolfson, NFL and NCAA basketball reporter for CBS Sports. There’s a chime About how the news affected her.
“This is an absolute no-no, it’s not the norm and it’s upsetting on so many levels,” she said. “I take my job very seriously, I take responsibility for everything I say, I build trust with my coaches, and I never make things up. I know my fellow reporters do the same. I am.”
ESPN’s Molly McGrath offered Thompson’s comments as a lesson to young journalists.
“This is not normal or ethical,” she says. I wrote to X. “Coaches and players trust us with confidential information, and if they learn that you are dishonest and do not take your role seriously, you lose all trust and confidence. ”
The Athletic’s New York Yankees reporter Chris Kirshner also weighed in. via his personal X account.
“A significant portion of the population doesn’t trust the media as it is,” he says. “I can’t believe she would proudly admit this. This does great harm to people who actually take their jobs seriously. This is completely unethical and should never work in the field again.” isn’t it.”
Laura Okmin is an NFL sideline reporter for FOX. Share your thoughts on social media platforms.
“The perk of the sideline role is that you’re the only person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask the coach what’s going on at that moment,” she said. “I can’t tell you how long it takes to build that trust. I’m overwhelmed with messages asking if this is okay. No, absolutely not.”
Sportswriters suggest how Carissa Thompson could have handled sideline coverage
ESPN Baseball Writer Buster Olney Reply to Okmin’s statement, I agree with her comment. He also added suggestions on how to appropriately deal with the situation in which Mr. Thompson fabricated the report.
“If the coach/manager refuses to answer questions, start there,” he said. “Then we dive into other information.”
Veteran reporter Lindsey Rose, former anchor of NFL Network’s “Total Access,” also offered solutions for what Thompson could do if faced with a pressure situation.
“She told the producers, ‘He didn’t stop,’ and they didn’t ask the sideline reporter for updates that she didn’t have.” she said in x. “Or she tells the audience about it in her report. Or she observes things herself and reports it without misleading anyone into thinking it’s from someone it’s not.” .”
Criticism of Carissa Thompson’s comments affecting women in sports
Lindsey D’Arcangelo, women’s basketball writer for The Athletic, investigated Thompson’s influence on women in sports media. Women have historically been underrepresented in the industry, but they continue to break barriers.
“I don’t think she understands what this looks like,” she said said in X. “The women had to work hard to earn their trust, prove themselves, and show that they were capable of doing more than just sideline reporting.” Beth Mowins called Think about how many years it took to play an NFL game.”
NFL reporter Lindsey Jones wrote that it was “inexcusable” that Thompson made up the quote.
“I think it’s almost a universal experience for women in sports media to feel like you have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously and that you can’t afford to make a mistake.” Jones wrote to X. “Therefore, Carissa Thompson’s blithe admission that she fabricated the quote should not be tolerated.”
Lindsay Gibbs, a female sports journalist and founder of the newsletter Power Play, also said: expressed dissatisfaction on social media Reflecting on what this situation means for women.
“Just thinking about how hard women in sports have worked to be taken seriously.” to do this (expletive),” she said.
Patriots host Tamara Brown shared feelings Comments like Thompson’s make an already difficult journey even more difficult for women in sports, especially women of color.
“As a Black woman who has worked hard to get a network job as a sideline reporter, this is upsetting,” she said. “I’ve been told that I wasn’t ready, I didn’t have anything open, I was left as read, etc. And yet, it’s hard for someone like you in a role like this to take it seriously. I haven’t accepted it.”
ESPN college sports reporter Morgan Uber echoed criticism of Thompson’s actionscalled these things “deeply upsetting and completely unethical,” pointing out the difficulty of women being judged for their looks rather than their work ethics.
“This is a role in a profession that is already stereotyped as just ‘eye candy,'” she says. “A good sideline reporter does his homework, talks to players and coaches throughout the week and on game day, and definitely doesn’t make up reports. That’s true, regardless of what you think. Journalism is still involved.”
