“Don’t Ever Do What Charissa Thompson Did”: Penn State University Professor Advices His Students to Take ‘Credibility’ Seriously

Sports commentator Charissa Thompson sparked intense controversy within the journalism industry. She made a startling admission on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, revealing that she used to fabricate parts of her sideline reports while working for Fox Sports.

Thompson’s acknowledgment quickly led to nationwide chatter, making other female journalists concerned about their credibility due to the comments. Meanwhile, a professor at Penn State University, Steve Kraycik, with an extensive background in television news, has taken this incident as an educational moment for his students.

Kraycik took to X (formerly Twitter) to urge his students to never repeat what Thompson has admitted to doing. He believes ‘credibility’ is the one true pillar in journalism, and Thompson has lost hers. The post said,

“Note to my sports journ students — don’t you EVER do what Charissa Thompson did! Credibility is everything, and she just lost it.“

Note to my sports journ students — don’t you EVER do what Charissa Thompson did! Credibility is everything, and she just lost it. https://t.co/TaUVTlLZ9r

— Steve Kraycik (@TV_Agent_Steve) November 17, 2023

With over 27 years in the industry, Kraycik’s experience ranges from news management to mentoring budding journalists. Currently, the Director of Student Television and Online Operations at Penn State teaches aspiring TV news professionals.

Charissa Thompson Has Addressed the Backlash

It has only been a few days since Thompson made her remarks on the podcast, which has not only caused her a great deal of criticism but also questioned the integrity of other female sideline reporters. She said,

“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”

This revelation, which she shared openly, has induced quite a stir. Soon after, Thompson took to social media to issue an apology. Thompson stated that she used ‘wrong words’ to describe the situation and emphasized her ethical conduct as a sideline reporter. She also mentioned including her own report when the coaches weren’t present at the games.

“I chose the wrong words to describe the situation. I’m sorry. I have never lied about anything or been unethical during my time as a sports broadcaster,” Thompson said. “In the absence of a coach providing any information that could further my report I would use that information that I learned and saw during the first half to create my report“

This confession has sparked a debate about her credibility as a journalist and has additionally brought about wider scrutiny of sideline reporting practices. Following her remarks, Thompson faced grievance from her friends inside the sports activities journalism industry and additionally became the target of enormous trolling on social media.