LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The young journalist from the Kentucky Kernel who appeared to have his phone smashed to the floor by an Arkansas assistant coach last Friday isn’t talking about the incident. But those who watched how he handled the matter are weighing in.
“We train them to keep their composure. Whatever happens, you don’t need to respond in the moment. He did a great job of that,” said Ryan Craig, who serves as the senior student adviser at the Kentucky Kernel.
Jack Weaver, a student photojournalist for The Kernel, was shooting video from his phone as the Arkansas coaching staff left the court following a loss in Nashville at the SEC Tournament when one of Eric Musselman’s assistants, Riley Hall, took and appeared to throw Weaver’s phone down.
“He is standing, with his credential on, in the area where photographers are supposed to stand,” Craig said in defense of Weaver.
The Arkansas athletic director issued an apology and defended Hall saying there was no malicious intent.
Weaver sent a tweet of the video, but hasn’t said much since. He’s certainly not looking for any sympathy. And as he told LEX 18 off-camera, he doesn’t want to become the story. But his tact from the beginning has caught the eye of The Kernel’s adviser, and so many other professional journalists in the area.
“That’s something else we teach,” Craig began to explain. “It’s always bad when you become the story and you’re not covering the story. He has done a great job of not becoming the story,” he continued.
