Meteorologist accused of being unprofessional after texting during live broadcast: 'I take my job and your safety very seriously'

A TV meteorologist clapped back after a viewer called him "unprofessional" for texting his wife to check in during a weather emergency while live on air, according to Today.

Nick Jansen works for KTTC in Rochester, Minnesota. On July 28, he was reporting on severe weather in the area, which included wind gusts of over 76 mph, according to Today.

Severe Weather Coverage

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. <3

Posted by Nick Jansen KTTC on Wednesday, July 30, 2025

At one point, cameras caught Jansen looking down at his phone while apparently texting. The meteorologist immediately apologized to viewers and explained that he had been messaging his wife to make sure that she and their young daughter were safely in the basement of their home.

Apparently, this did not sit well with some viewers. 

One irate person emailed the meteorologist about the incident, labeling his actions "unprofessional," as Jansen explained in a Facebook post.

"'That he has to call his wife to make sure she takes the baby to safety?'" Jansen quoted the emailer as saying. "'Maybe some people think that is noble or cute. I don't.'"

Jansen then responded to the emailer's accusation. 

"I take my job and your safety very seriously," he wrote. "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." 

More broadly, the situation highlighted that severe weather events impact everyone, even those whose job it is to report on those very events.

As rising global temperatures make severe weather events more extreme, communities will increasingly rely on meteorologists to provide clear, accurate information and early warnings.

Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often 😬 Yes — but only sometimes 😕 Only when it's bad outside 😮‍💨 No — I never do 😌 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

In the process, it is important to remember that these meteorologists, despite often appearing as talking heads on a screen, are real people with real families who also live in the communities on which they report.

As Jansen wrote in his post, "Let's all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life."

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