Lynn Jones’ press conference comments were a Rorschach test on America’s media relationship

Empathy is in short supply these days in America.

So when we hear someone express genuine recognition of another human being’s feelings, we tend to notice.

In a vacuum, there was nothing wrong with what Lynn Jones of the Jacksonville Free Press News said to Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. However, because her comments were made during the postgame press conference after the team’s Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, they have become a national talking point. Depending on your perspective, it was either a Ted Lasso moment or a crime against journalism.

Jones said, “I just want to tell you, congratulations on your success, young man. You hold your head up, alright? You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today. You just hold your head up, okay? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval, you the one. Keep it going, we got another season, okay? Take care, and much continued success to you and the entire team.”

The reaction to Jones’s comments was predictable. Many in the media viewed her comments as an affront to the sanctity of the press conference. Many in the public wondered why the media was criticizing Jones.

While sports isn’t politics, journalists shouldn’t be Ted Lasso characters, no matter how well-intentioned they might be. But for many watching at home, that distinction isn’t clear. 

That’s not unexpected. Many Americans don’t fully understand the media’s role, and there is a widening gulf in where Americans get their news. Distrust of the media is at an all-time low. Case in point was Pat McAfee weighing in to assert a preposterous claim that most in the sports media hate sports.

Among all the opinions, the fairest came from ESPN’s Michael Eaves, who wrote the following:

Jones could have handled this differently. She could have waited until after the presser. She could have passed a note to Coen. But she didn’t.

The twist is that by saying something inappropriate in that setting, she went viral in a way that likely benefited her and her publication. Attention is currency. More people know about Jones and the Jacksonville Free Press News today than they did last week.

According to its website, the Jacksonville Free Press, first published in September 1986, “has since come to be recognized as a major link to the African-American community. The publication was developed as an answer to a community response which was crying out for a wealth of positive news… informative news for African-Americans, about African-Americans, by African-Americans.”

The phrase “a wealth of positive news” is an interesting choice of words. It’s not traditional journalism. Most newspapers aim to document the facts without emotion, letting the information speak for itself. At press conferences, journalists seek answers to questions readers are likely to have. Columnists and editors have their opinions, but they are not supposed to be cheerleaders or to console losing choices.

Viewed through the prism of “a wealth of positive news,” Jones’s comments may be more understandable, even if unorthodox. This is how the Jacksonville Free Press has chosen to conduct business.

Jones has defended herself and has her supporters. But the intense reactions say a lot about what the public thinks of the media and about its role moving forward.