A Minnesota meteorologist has defended himself after he received backlash for texting his wife in the middle of a live weather report.
Nick Jansen, employed at Rochester’s NBC affiliate KTTC, was in the studio on July 28 amidst severe weather and power outages impacting the Twin Cities area.
During one of the update segments, the camera panned to Jansen, who had his head buried in his phone as he typed away.
He quickly informed viewers that he was simply messaging his wife, Angie, to ensure both she and their 5-month-old daughter, Jamie, were safe and taking refuge in the basement.
After sending the message, Jansen continued reporting as normal on thunderstorms and wind gusts faster than 76 miles per hour.
In a Facebook post that later went viral, he revealed that a viewer sent him an email accusing him of being ‘unprofessional’ for doing this.
‘That he needs to call his wife to ensure she secures the baby in a safe place? Perhaps some people find it noble or endearing, but I don’t,’ Jansen mentioned the letter indicated.
Jansen was unapologetic and shared his outrage at the letter.
Nick Jansen, who works at the Rochester NBC affiliate KTTC, was criticized by one of his viewers for texting during a live broadcast on July 28
During the broadcast and in a following Facebook update, Jansen explained that he was just checking on his wife and baby amidst the severe weather he was reporting on.
‘I don’t usually post things like this,’ he began.
‘I am serious about my job and your safety. However, I’m also a husband and father. In the midst of severe weather, I took a brief moment to confirm my wife and child were safely in the basement. This isn’t unprofessional, it’s human,’ he said.
‘I am a husband and a father FIRST. Let’s all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life.’
Jansen shared with TODAY.com that Angie usually heads to bed early, which is why he requested her to leave her ringer on in case the weather worsened later that night.
Jansen also revealed that this isn’t the first time he’s gotten pushback for texting his wife while on air.
He said that a few years earlier, he texted Angie during a broadcast when there was a tornado warning that directly impacted their home.
‘So when I received this latest email, I was like, you know what? I don’t think it’s acceptable that I can’t take a second to make sure my loved ones are OK,’ Jansen said.
‘I’m sure a lot of viewers were texting their families. And we always say on-air, “If you know someone in such-and-such a town, make sure to let them know this is coming.” So I was kind of taking my own advice,’ he added.
Pictured: Damage to trees on a Minnesota property from the July 28 storm
After getting thousands of positive comments agreeing with his perspective, Jansen made another post thanking people for taking his side.
‘Truly, thank you for all the love and support over the past few days. I never imagined that post would get the kind of response it did, not in a million years,’ he wrote. ‘Your kindness and encouragement have been a powerful reminder of why I do what I do.’
‘And oh, the little one says hello!’ he concluded, while posting a picture of his young daughter.
KTTC vice president and general manager Stephanie Hendrick praised Jansen and his team for keeping people informed during dangerous weather events.
‘KTTC knows that when our meteorologists, anchors and reporters are delivering the news, they are also talking to their own families- informing them and helping to keep them safe,’ she said in a statement. ‘In this case, viewers saw that happen live — Nick being a good husband and dad by taking a moment and making sure they were safe.’
