On Friday, FTVLive told you about WLEX Reporter Kylen Mills and her smiling selfie at the memorial for a country singer that was killed in a helicopter crash.

While at the memorial for Troy Gentry , Mills posted this to her social media from outside the memorial.... a smiling selfie saying that "There are worse ways to spend a Thursday."

We said that Gentry might think there were better ways to spend a Thursday, you know, if he wasn't dead.

After we posted the story, FTVLive got this email:

In reference to this article, Kylen Mills was not covering the funeral for WLEX-TV. She was off on this day. Another reporter was covering this story.
Kathy Stone
WLEX Assistant News Director

But, a check of Mills professional Facebook page shows she was covering the story on Social media. And she hashtagged the station in the post that included video and pictures.

We explained to WLEX Assistant News Director Kathy Stone that it appeared that Mills was covering the story, even if it was just on social media.

Stone wrote back:

She was there… but was not covering it for us.

Well, was she working for another station? Why did she hashtag WLEX then? It sure seemed like Ms. Stone was dealing in semantics and that is exactly what we emailed back to her, writing:

Sorry not buying into the semantics. She works for your station, she posted a selfie in bad taste. I can explain to you how on air people represent the station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I think you know that.

She replied with:

I deal in facts. I do understand that. I like for all the facts to be right.

We answered back:

I updated the story....

But, if news people are being urged to post on their social media by the station and that is exactly what she did, then didn't she cover the story, even if it was just digitally?

Or does it mean on people's days off, they can post anything they want to their professional social media page and tag the station? Is it OK, to post a picture holding up a sign with racial slurs on it and tag the station?

Just the facts...

Ms. Stone came back with:

The fact is, our station was not paying her that day. That does not mean she can do whatever she wants on social media. But to say she was reporting Troy Gentry’s service for our station would be incorrect. It is illegal to force someone to work for free in this country and we did not pay her to work that day.

We then got an email from Kayen Mills saying this:

Hello,

Kylen Mills here with WLEX. I just wanted to let you know I wasn't covering the Troy Gentry Funeral for my station.

I went to Nashville on my day off to not only go to the service but explore the city and visit with a friend.

I tweeted some videos of the service but never said I was covering it or reporting on it for WLEX, we had a separate crew there doing that.

Of course my thoughts are with the Gentry's family and friends, but I think I'm allowed to smile in a photo on my personal pages on my day off.

Thanks,
Kylen

The point we tried to make to Kathy "Just the Facts" Stone and to Kylen Mills, is whether you are working for the station or not, you represent the station 24/7 365. I'm fairly certain that Ms. Mills could not start a second job doing porn videos and the station would be ok with it.

We also asked Kylen if she used her station credentials to gain access to the memorial? We never heard back from her.

Kylen says, "I think I'm allowed to smile in a photo on my personal pages on my day off." Kylen, you can smile whenever you want, like Ms. Stone says it's a free country. If you want to show up at 5 car pile up, where 6 kids were killed, in your bathing suit, smile and take a selfie saying, There are worse ways to spend a Thursday" knock yourself out.

But, as a professional Journalist, it doesn't make you look very good (in our opinion and it is only our opinion). Also, the next time you are on your day off, it might be best not to post anything to your professional Facebook page, because people might get the idea that you were working that day.

Also, the news management at WLEX might want to explain to their staff how posting smiling selfies at a funeral (sorry just the facts....a memorial) might reflect badly on the station you work for, even if it is your day off.

I would say that I offer this up as free advice, but remember it's illegal to force someone to work for free in this country.

So, I will send along an invoice for my advice in the next day or so.