Firing Back at a Bigot

ouston evening anchor Erica Simon is not here for the hate, and she is making sure TV news journalists everywhere know they don’t have to sit back and take it either.

The KTRK anchor decided she had seen enough and publicly called out a viewer who sent a blatantly racist comment her way. Instead of ignoring the toxic behavior or letting it slide behind closed doors, Simon brought the message directly to the public, shining a bright light on the ugly side of what local television journalists face every single day.

For far too long, the standard industry playbook handed down by newsroom management has been to "ignore the trolls" or "don't engage." Journalists, especially women and journalists of color, are expected to smile through the commercial breaks and delete the vitriol in silence. Simon completely flipped the script, proving that some lines simply cannot be crossed without consequences.

It takes serious backbone to put these viewers on blast, but Simon handled it with absolute class while making it clear that racism has no place in her inbox or the Houston community. By standing her ground and refusing to let hateful rhetoric be normalized in local television, she is setting a powerful example for talent across the country.