Charissa Thompson has made a bombshell announcement that she created quotes from coaches as she was reporting from the sidelines of games.
The Fox Sports and Amazon “Thursday Night Football” sideline reporter said during a recent interview, “I’ve said this before, so I haven’t been fired for saying it, but I’ll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes,” according to The Washington Post.
Thompson made the comments during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” Sports Illustrated reported.
She justified her actions by saying, “Because A, the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime, or it was too late and ...I didn’t want to screw up the report, so I was like, ‘I’m just going to make this up.’” She also said that “no coach is going to get mad” over her fabricated statements.
She said she only used statements all coaches make, such as, “Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves, we need to be better on third down, we need to stop turning the ball over and do a better job of getting off the field,” the Post reported.
“Like, they’re not going to correct me on that,” Thompson said, “So I’m like, ‘It’s fine, I’ll just make up the report.’”
While Thompson may think she did nothing wrong, other journalists are using her admissions as a warning, the Post reported.
College football sideline reporter Molly McGrath wrote on social media, “Young reporters: This is not normal or ethical.”
Young reporters: This is not normal or ethical. Coaches and players trust us with sensitive information, and if they know that you’re dishonest and don’t take your role seriously, you’ve lost all trust and credibility. https://t.co/yMnM1T995P
— Molly McGrath (@MollyAMcGrath) November 16, 2023
While CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson echoed McGrath, saying “This is absolutely not ok.”
This is absolutely not ok, not the norm and upsetting on so many levels. I take my job very seriously, I hold myself accountable for all I say, I build trust with coaches and never make something up. I know my fellow reporters do the same. https://t.co/sl0T7w32u9
— Tracy Wolfson (@tracywolfson) November 16, 2023
Laura Okmin, a fellow Fox Sports reporter, wrote, according to The Athletic, “THE privilege of a sideline role is being the 1 person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask coaches what’s happening in that moment. I can’t express the amount of time it takes to build that trust. Devastated w/the texts I’m getting asking if this is ok. No. Never.”
THE privilege of a sideline role is being the 1 person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask coaches what’s happening in that moment. I can’t express the amount of time it takes to build that trust. Devastated w/the texts I’m getting asking if this is ok. No. Never.
— Laura Okmin (@LauraOkmin) November 16, 2023
Mike Freeman, in an opinion piece for USA Today, said what Thompson did “was providing viewers information, like other sideline reporters, it just turns out that some of it was lies. I had to watch the video multiple times to make sure I wasn’t being pranked. Yep. She said that.”
He said that she should be held accountable.
“This is a firing offense,” Freeman wrote.
Freeman added that Thompson admitted to making up reports before this week’s podcast, namely in 2022 during an appearance on “Calm Down” with Erin Andrews, where Thompson said, “I was like, ‘Oh coach, what adjustments are you gonna make at halftime?’ He goes, ‘That’s a great perfume you’re wearing.’ I was like, ‘Oh (expletive), this isn’t gonna work.’ I’m not kidding, I made up a report.”
Andrea Kremer said she is “sickened” by Thompson’s habit, USA Today reported.
As one of only 3 women in the @ProFootballHOF I'm sickened by the insulting mockery being made of sideline reporting, a challenging role primarily manned by women - most of whom understand & respect the values of journalism and are integral, trusted members of a broadcast team.
— Andrea Kremer (@Andrea_Kremer) November 16, 2023
While “Monday Night Football” sideline reporter Lisa Salter wrote she was, “Shocked. Disappointed. Disgusted.”
Trust and credibility. They mean everything to a journalist. To violate either one - in any way - not only makes a mockery of the profession, but is a disservice to players, coaches and, most importantly, to fans.
— Lisa Salters (@saltersl) November 17, 2023
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Kevin Smith, a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, said, “This is just appallingly bad journalism to engage in, and to brag about it and defend it as harmless is beyond the pale.”
The society has an ethics code that spells out how journalists should cover news, including, “Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments,” and “Abide by the same high standards they expect of others.”
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