In case you missed it, the hot topic of the day is “bullying.”
It is defined as “a: a blustering browbeating person; especially: one habitually cruel to others who are weaker.”
However, the term seems to have taken on a new life for many people who seem to be offended very easily these days.
Most famously, a La Crosse, Wisconsin, TV anchor claimed she was “bullied” because a man sent her an email telling her that she was obese and not a very good example on TV for young girls. She famously ripped into him on the air for almost four minutes and has received national exposure for it.
And now WDAF-Fox 4 TV anchor Katie Ferrell has told the emotional story of how she was crushed by a single email years ago and managed to survive. Just by looking at her, viewers might not think that she was the type that is often bullied or picked on or made fun of.
Whereas many TV journalists say nasty emails are almost a daily occurrence, one was almost one too many for Ferrell to handle.
In a blog post Ferrell outlined her own personal tragedy over an email sent to a station in Nebraska where she once worked.
“It was horrible, angry, condescending and mean. It said I was terrible, unprofessional,” she wrote. “The viewer said they couldn’t watch me, that I didn’t belong on TV. I was embarrassed and what haunts me today is that at the time I believed that person.”
How upset was Ferrell over the email?
“I considered leaving the business,” she noted. “And, I spiraled into one of the deepest depressions I’ve ever known. For three weeks I could barely get out of bed and then I decided I had a choice- I chose to believe in myself. And, to concentrate on getting better instead of believing the hateful words of one.”
Ferrell would not necessarily claim she was actually bullied, but the lone email came close. Luckily, her self-esteem was restored.
“She called that viewer a bully,” Ferrell, a University of Missouri J-school grad wrote about the Wisconsin anchor. “I never thought about it like that. I don’t know if I go as far as to call the man who wrote an e-mail a bully, but I do think it’s a reminder that words hurt- no matter what form they come in.”
Viewers might be forewarned about sending any nasty emails to Ferrell. She doesn’t seem to handle them very well.
POOR KATIE
Katie, is good on air, Very Attractive and who in their right mind would do something like that to her ???
I know… I have had this all my life, this one group of people are led against me by a drunk, dope user and pedifile, they believe him and my name causes me all kind of issues that I have had to take for 30+ years…
It is sick, and the people who do this to others, will get their’s one day, I can hardly wait until this drunk from cleveland gets his !
NOT A PERSONAL TRAGEDY
Well, moving right along, I don’t know that I would call getting a nasty e-mail from a TV viewer a “personal tragedy,” but Katie’s story is a story I’m sure many others can identify with, including, in this case, LAC. Or are we just hearing more and more of these sort of stories because anymore everyone feels like a “victim”? Who’s to say.
TV VETERAN’S THOUGHTS
Speaking as one who spent 40 years in local televison news, if that not-so-unusual email traumatized Katie to the extent she described…then the writer was correct. Katie doesn’t belong on TV news.
OFF MEDS
Someone was off their meds…
KATIE HORNER NOT A WHINER
poor katie??? oh please. sure never saw katie horner whimper and whine in public about all the negative, insensitive and sexist blasts she regularly took over the years. she took it in stride and shook it off. part of being in the public eye.
MEDIA NOT STORY
Ditto, Reformed journalist. Someday, TV, radio and newspaper will get it, probably when their audiences are super tiny. You are not the story.
NOT KATIE
Hey “mike t” Not Katie Horner, Dummy !!!
Quit living in the PAST !!!!!!!!
DEVELOP A THICK SKIN
I agree, Ferrell either develops thick skin, or find another line of work.
BULLY
There’s a definite reason as to why that viewer “bullied” Katie. She was the morning co-anchor who was stiff as a board and would never get along or interact with her co-anchor, but he has always been a professional. It’s obvious that Katie’s learned from that email because once she moved up to evenings, she was unstoppable. It’s too bad that she had to deal with what she did, but it’s TV, there’s ALWAYS goin to be backlash… so deal with it.