TV reporter responds to viewer's letter about her weight



CHICAGO -- WGN-TV reporter Marcella Raymond late last week spoke out about a letter she received from a viewer that criticizes her for gaining weight.

Raymond has been a dedicated reporter at WGN-TV for 18 years, but recently she received a letter from a viewer that was unlike any other.

"Please allow me to point out (with great respect) that you have gained too much weight," the unsigned letter said. "Being heavier than you probably want to be does present a message to the viewer: this person is not able to discipline herself in a visual medium. It interferes with your real message when reporting."



After sharing the letter on her Facebook page, Raymond discussed it on Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder's WGN Radio show.

"I think that while the outpouring of support was crazy -- and I didn't need that -- I wanted people to see how rude people can be," Raymond said about why she posted the letter. "What made me really happy was that so many people saw this the same way and would never do anything like that to anybody else. So that was the really positive thing that came out of it."

She continued: "I know I'd like to lose some weight -- and I will eventually -- but it's for me. Not for anybody else."