Featured Image Credit: YouTube/KTTC
Topics: News, US News, Weather, Film and TV
Gerrard Kaonga
A Minnesota meteorologist has gone viral after choosing to text his wife in the middle of a severe weather update on live TV.
Nick Jansen is a chief meteorologist for NBC affiliate KTTC and was seen messaging on his cell phone while another co-worker explained the changing system in southeastern Minnesota and northern Iowa on July 28.
At one point, he even offered a brief apology to his viewers and said: “Sorry, I just had to text my wife.”
Jansen added: “[The] baby was sleeping the whole night. So that's going to be over with at this point in time.”
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While that might seem like the end of the story, the video started to circulate on social media, with the meteorologist even sharing it on his Facebook page after it sparked a brief backlash.
One viewer argued that his actions proved to be 'unprofessional', a point that Jansen took issue with.
Sharing the moment on his page, he wrote in a caption: “I don't usually post things like this, but after nearly 3 hours of storm coverage Monday night, I wanted to share a quick thought. I received an email telling me how unprofessional I was during my coverage.
“The quote that really struck me: ‘That he has to call his wife to make sure she takes the baby to safety? Maybe some people think it's noble or cute. I don't’ - I posted the video of the act attached.
“I take my job and your safety very seriously. But I'm also a husband and a father. In the middle of severe weather, I decided to take a brief moment to make sure my wife and child were safely in the basement. That's not me being unprofessional, it's me being human. I am a husband and a father FIRST. Let's all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life.”
Other people have rallied around Jansen for his approach and hit back against the critics.
KTTC Vice-President and General Manager Stephanie Hedrick also issued a statement defending the meteorologist.
Hedrick said: “The KTTC team is proud of Nick and the work he and the First Alert weather team did Monday night and the work they continue to do to keep our communities safe. That includes their own families - informing them and helping to keep them safe.
“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.
“Thank you to all those who support our team during such moments. We hope all know the importance of such safety measures during severe weather.”
After realizing that the clip had gone viral, Jansen followed up his Facebook post with another message.
He wrote: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support has meant more to me than words can express.”