Thursday, October 4, 2012

TV anchor blasts viewer who criticizes her weight, calling him a bully on-air


Milwaukee TV anchor Jennifer Livingston has always rebuffed personal attacks, so when the Wisconsin television anchorwoman got an email from a viewer criticizing her weight, she thought nothing of it. But then she thought of her daughters and other children who may not have the same emotional shield.
Livingston took to the airwaves Tuesday to respond to the email during a four-minute segment on WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wis., calling the writer a bully. She urged young viewers not to allow such people to define their self-worth.
She didn’t identify the man, who wrote that he was surprised to see her physical condition hadn’t improved for years. He told her that he hopes she doesn’t consider herself a suitable example for young people, especially girls.
The man who wrote the email, Kenneth Krause, told The Associated Press in an interview that his emails had nothing to do with bullying.
Livingston, who has worked in broadcast journalism since 1997, said at least 1,000 people have posted supportive messages on her Facebook page and even more sent her emails. She said many wrote that they wished someone had stood up for them, including some who said they were bullied years ago “and it still haunts them today.”


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