A news anchor has responded to a viewer who attempted to “shame and police” her on-air clothing choices.
Kori Sidaway, an anchor at CHEK News in Victoria, British Columbia, shared a screenshot of an email she received from a viewer who told her to “dress appropriately” because they claimed she was showing “too much cleavage”.
“Too much cleavage can break your news story,” the email sent to Sidaway and her colleagues read. “Dress appropriately, it was hard work to get there.”
The viewer also attached two photos to the email, one of Sidaway on-air and another of a woman’s torso, which they said is “what we actually see” when the anchor is reporting, before signing the anonymous email: “Vancouver Island Cleavage Patrol.”
Sidaway shared the email on Twitter, where she wrote: “This screenshot was sent to me and my colleagues in an attempt to shame and police my body. Well, I’m taking my power back.
“To the nameless computer warrior(s) who try to reduce women into an outfit or a body part - this generation of women doesn’t stand for harassment.”
The journalist’s tweet, which has since been liked more than 4,000 times, was met with support from her followers.
“Proud of you for calling that person out. Disgusting that you have to even open an email like that. You are an excellent broadcaster and a great storyteller. Keep being awesome!” one person wrote.
Another said: “That’s just gross. Glad you’re standing up for yourself, and the rest of us.”
Sidaway’s tweet also prompted other female journalists to share their own experiences with harassment.
“Good for you for speaking out about an experience all too common for female broadcasters. As a TV journalist, I've been criticised for not matching up to how people ‘think’ women on TV should look. I've been called ugly, 'not feminine enough', etc. It is never acceptable,” one journalist wrote.
In a follow-up tweet, Sidaway thanked everyone for the support and for sharing their own stories, as it made her feel “less alone”.
“Thank you all for sharing your own stories & kind words. I feel so much less alone, so supported and so much more empowered,” she wrote. “You helped take my lemon and made lemonade. Thank you.”
