Trash-talking: Anchors aren’t letting it slide by
March 24, 2023As we all know, if you are in television broadcasting, you are subject to public opinion… and often times it isn’t nice. (Those of us in radio receive similar, but we are just heard and not seen. More about that and my personal struggle with this at a later date sometime.)
Many will remember – and it’s hard to believe it’s been over 10 years since this happened – Jennifer Livingston, the Wisconsin news anchor (now on to other things) who received such a letter from a viewer who criticized her weight and how she appeared on TV. (CLICK HERE for a refresher!)
No doubt this has happened many times locally. In fact it happened this week to local anchor, Heather Abraham who is not only the co-host of KDKA-TV’s Pittsburgh Today Live, but is now the host of Talk Pittsburgh which debuted this past Monday, received such a letter this morning.
Abraham took to Tik-Tok and before presenting viewers with the letter, she mentioned all of the GREAT feedback received for the new program. Then said she had the letter which arrived without a return address. It was handwritten and signed “A Senior.” In it, the anchor was taken to task for her “bare legs” (she wasn’t wearing hosiery), and her current hairstyle. But the letter also mentioned she was “too pretty for all that ‘eye sh*t,'” which I think refers to “eye shadow”. (Sound it out, “A. Senior”, you got the first two letters right… “sh…” “adow”… no, not “it”! “ADOW”)
After reading the hurtful words yet still smiling, Abraham asked, “what’s the intention? To have me cut my hair? To have me wear panty hose?” Her moral to the story? “We’re told to have thick skin in this business, but ‘mean’ is still ‘mean’ and I just don’t see the point in it.”
“A. Senior” obviously knew he/she was going to be hurtful with his/her words. So not signing a real name and not putting a return address made that very clear. We also think it’s time for “A’s” children to take away his/her TV viewing privileges.
Abraham finished the video telling everyone she doesn’t like panty hose and she’s not going to cut her hair! We say, “Go Heather..!!!” (…and all the rest of you brave TV folk who have to endure such crap from viewers on a regular basis.)
Is this really news? Anyone who knows anyone who has worked in media knows that letters from kooks just come with the territory. I personally know women who have worked in media who have received way, way worse stuff than that.
Well, I am so happy for you that you knew such strong women. Are you insinuating they let it roll off their back? Man or woman, I don’t believe for a second that such a note doesn’t cause some element of hurt. A priest I knew once preached a sermon that started off, “‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me,’ is a lie!” He was not wrong. And as Heather herself said, what is the point with being mean?
And is it really news? Yes, it is.
You should ask some local women in media to share their worst kook mail with you. That would be a real eye-opener for many and a good subject for an article. I’ve seen some stuff that was sent to a former KD reporter that was stalker-scary. I also know a particular radio personality who receives some disgusting stuff via social media. IMO if media women went on-air to talk about it every time they got attention from some kook they’d have time to talk about little else.