How to deal with the Online Trolls from a News Reporter
We’re told to ignore agitators; don’t feed into them. However, it can be harder said than done. Being a Television News Reporter during a pandemic proved that to be true.
During the height of the Coronavirus Pandemic, I received a lot of angry comments while going live on Facebook. I wanted to believe that people were frustrated with being cooped up. It was one thing to criticize policies but pretty soon, people started targeting me. The attacks ranged from the way I looked to the way I talked to anything that would get a reaction. Why did they hate me so much if they’ve never even met me?
I will tell you that it can be tough. It’s hard to work your butt off every day and still have people downplay your efforts or criticize you. This might be something you’ve experienced at home, at work, or even with a group of friends.
Nothing and I mean NOTHING frustrated me more than knowing that peoples’ comments were starting to eat at me.
The worst mistake I made during that situation was to change who I was. I felt like I couldn’t mentally handle another day of harassment so I changed the way I interacted as a reporter. I tried to be as serious as I could. I didn’t smile. I tried to get on and off of the livestream as fast as possible. What happened when I tried that approach? It also didn’t work. People were angry in the comments about my cold demeanor. My voice would begin to shake as I spoke. You could see how nervous I was. That wasn’t like me whatsoever.
Sometimes, you just can’t win with people. I had originally thought I could please everyone. I soon realized that pleasing everyone is unrealistic and overrated. If we spend every day trying to live for other people instead of ourselves, we will end up MISERABLE. If you feel like you’ve been in that situation before, remember that YOU aren’t the problem. If possible, distance yourself from the person or people who are making you feel the way you do. And of course, remember your worth because we are all worth much more than the mean things people say to try to bring us down :)
