“Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life—and he will be deeply missed.”
A Minnesota meteorologist is responding after his viral moment was met with criticism.
Nick Jansen, chief meteorologist for NBC affiliate KTTC, was in the middle of a weather broadcast on Monday, July 28 when cameras caught him texting on his phone live on air.
After he sent the text, he apologized to his viewers and said he “just had to text my wife.”
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“[The] baby was sleeping the whole night. So that's going to be over with at this point in time,” Jansen explained before continuing on with the severe weather update that affected the area.
While most parents would understand, some viewers criticized Jansen for his “unprofessional” behavior.
On July 30, Jansen took to his Facebook page to share a “quote that really struck me” from an email one of his viewers who took exception to the act sent him.
"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,” the viewer wrote.
Jansen’s response to the criticism proved that family always comes first — even when at work.
“I take my job and your safety very seriously. But I'm also a husband and a father,” he wrote in his Facebook post.
“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,” he added.
Jansen concluded his message by clarifying that he’s a “husband and a father FIRST” before issuing a call to action.
“Let's all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life,” he wrote.
Jansen’s post has been seen more than 16 million times and has received more than 20,000 comments — many of which were in support of his viral moment.
“They must be new to the area, as ANY time there’s been severe weather in the Rochester area you’re checking on Angie (& now baby),” former KTTC meteorologist Sawyer McElroy wrote.
“I, as a wife and mother, think it’s great, and shows humanity. We wouldn’t expect ANYTHING less,” one viewer added in a comment of their own.
“How incredibly selfish of them to say… seeing how concerned you were about the storm, making sure your family was safe, reassured me that waking my littles to take them to the basement was the right decision. I like that you lead by example,” another viewer commented.
Jansen said he decided to take his own meteorologist advice
In an interview with Today.com, Jansen revealed that this isn’t the first time he received backlash for checking in on his wife.
In fact, he was criticized a few years earlier for texting his wife during a tornado warning that directly impacted the couple’s home.
“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 told Today.com.
“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.
On Aug. 3, Jansen thanked his viewers and shared a photo of him and his “little one” on Facebook.
“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.
“And oh, the little one says hello!” he concluded.
His viral moment was also praised by KTTC vice president and general manager Stephanie Hendrick.
“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,” Hendrick said, per KTTC.
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“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,” she added.
