A Canadian journalist is getting a lot of support online after a viewer reached out and called the outfit she wore on air ‘inappropriate’ and ‘almost upsetting’.
Tess van Straaten, a news personality with CHEK News in Victoria, British Columbia, shared a complaint she received from a viewer on Twitter a sleeveless dress she wore during a weather forecast.
In the email, the viewer wrote that it was “inappropriate” for the reporter to “wear sleeveless tops in the winter to report on the weather.”
“In my opinion, she should wear a suit jacket and look more professional like other news anchors around the world,” read the email, which Van Straaten said was sent to the set. of the newsroom.
“Sorry for the negative comment, but it’s almost heartbreaking to see what she’s wearing,” he continued.
The B.C. reporter decided to share the complaint via Twitter, writing, “This is what women in broadcasting sadly still face in 2023… Do you think my dress is ‘the most upsetting’ “?”
Van Straaten tells Narcity this is the second viewer email she has received with her bare arms in the past year, the previous one she received while reporting during a heat wave.
Unfortunately, it’s all too common for women in broadcasting and the public to receive emails about their appearance, whether it’s a negative comment. [over] their clothes, their hair or even their weight – and male colleagues almost never receive messages like this.
She says she used to ignore these types of “superficial reviews” like the one she tweeted, but decided to start calling them out a few years ago.
“I’ve been in broadcasting for over 20 years, and I would have thought things would be better now,” she said.
“Unfortunately this seems to be worse than ever. That’s why I decided to tweet the email. It’s not because my feelings were hurt, it’s because people need to realize that it is not acceptable to tell women how they should look or dress.” .”
After sharing the email online, Van Straaten received a lot of support from viewers and fellow journalists.
As of Monday, the tweet had been viewed more than 500,000 times and received more than 1,000 comments.
Many people expressed their support for Van Straaten.
CTV News Vancouver anchor Keri Adams tweeted “your gun show shouldn’t even be part of the conversation.”
Van Straaten’s CHEK colleague Kori Sidaway mocked the email, writing, “It just happened: women have arms!”
Blue NYPD Actress Sharon Lawrence also opined on the complaint, writing “This person can’t even spell, so let’s not worry about ignorant and nervous nightmares.”
Another person posted a The Simpsons GIF highlighting the stupidity of the complaint.
A Twitter user jokingly asked Van Straaten to dress warmer next time to “understand our suffering” in reference to the cold temperatures we face outside.
Van Straaten says she is “completely blown away” by the outpouring of support she received on her tweet.
“The supportive comments warmed my heart, the funniest ones made me laugh, and the overwhelmingly positive response helped restore my faith in humanity.”
The BC broadcaster is the latest reporter to call out a viewer email he received during his appearance.
On December 10, the CTV Calgary anchor Kathy Lee publicly shared a viewer complaint she received. The complaint was that she was “heavily pregnant” on air.
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