Jacksonville reporter has heartfelt response to icon’s praise of her viral exchange with NFL coach
By Derrick Rose
Click here for updates on this story
MILWAUKEE (WISN) — It was one of the NFL Wild Card Weekend’s most talked about moments: an unexpected exchange between Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones and Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen.
“I just wanted to tell you congratulations on your success, young man,” Jones told Coen following the Jaguars 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“Thank you,” Coen replied softly.
“You hold your head up. You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job up there today. You just hold your head up, OK?”
Clips of the 22 second exchange went viral and sparked a conversation about the relationship between reporters and sources and whether professional lines had been blurred.
While there has been criticism from some journalists and the public, the overwhelming response to the exchange has been positive.
“We need more of what Lynn Jones from Jacksonville Free Press did. Humanity + compassion don’t = unprofessional. If so, the world could certainly use more “unprofessionalism” right now. Thank you Ms. Jones,” Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. posted on Instagram.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.