Lynn Jones, associate editor of the Jacksonville Free Press, is defending the Black press and her exchange with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen following backlash from the postgame press conference.
During Sunday's (January 11) postgame press conference, Jones declined to ask a traditional game-related question and instead offered some words of encouragement to Coen after the Jaguars' 27-24 Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“How you doing today, Lynn Jones, Jacksonville Free Press News,” she 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. 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.”
A clip of the exchange shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter drew widespread praise on social media.
“This is an awesome post-game exchange between a reporter and Jaguars HC Liam Coen,” Schefter wrote on X.
However, not all reactions to the viral exchange were positive.
Associated Press reporter Mark Long criticized Jones on X, writing: “Nothing ‘awesome’ about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization, and it’s a waste of time for those of us actually working.”
Jones addressed the criticism in an interview on Monday (January 12).
“I don’t take no offense to it,” Jones said. “Listen, I’ve been in this business more than 25 years. I’ve interviewed from Barack Obama to Terry Bradshaw to… Tiger Woods. So, [Mark Long] can say what he wants about ‘fake news.’ I am a member of the Black Press, NNPA [The National Newspaper Publishers Association], that’s been around more than 100 years. I’m the associate editor of the Jacksonville Free Press, one of more than 230 African American newspapers still printing in this country today.”
“You can call me ‘fake’ all you want, honey,” Jones added. “I’ve been doing this for a long time.”
Jones said the exchange was an opportunity to remind the public that the Black press is legitimate, experienced, and deserving of recognition in spaces where its voices have historically been marginalized.
“The Jacksonville Free Press is as legitimate as any outlet covering the Jaguars,” she said. “The conversation isn’t about whether I belonged in that room. It’s about the humanity I tried to bring.”
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