I recently had dinner with a successful, gorgeous, and intelligent woman. Many women envy her and thousands of men would love to date her. In many people’s eyes, she has a dream job. She’s a television journalist.

Her life seems glamorous, but it is far from that. As a former journalist, I can tell you first hand that it is NOT.

Long, unpredictable hours, lack of sleep, a very small paycheck and no social life…they are all part of  journalist’s life. Anyone entering the field knows that those things come with the territory.  But, what they never signed up for is the anger, the envy and the hate that is spewed on them on a daily basis.

“Your hair looks awful! Why would you wear that dress? You look tired. Your makeup is terrible!. Have you gained weight? Maybe you should go to the gym more. You look much prettier and thinner in person. Are you pregnant? Must be nice to be hired for your big chest.” These are they types of comments that my friend and so many other journalists receive every day.

Imagine opening your email or pulling up your Facebook page to see these messages.  As tough as journalists are, these comments sting.

We live in a world where we are self-conscious and compare ourselves to the women and men photoshopped in advertisements. We pick apart everything on our body and love the Instagram and Facebook filters that make us look better.  Not only do these journalists have to deal with what every person faces on a daily basis, but they are bombarded with negative comments and letters from these idiots.

These trolls or cowards, as I like to call them, hide behind the computer screen as they craft hurtful messages to women and men who never did anything to them.

Some are fighting back though. Kristi Gordon, a pregnant meteorologist in Vancouver, received extraordinarily mean emails and letters about what she was wearing and how irresponsible she was to wear heals. Gordon read some of the letters on air and addressed the trolls. See the story here.

After Chicago news anchor Marcella Raymond read a letter on air that was sent from a viewer about her weight, other news anchors shared their nasty emails from viewers. Things were said like, “Keep shoving food down that pie-hole of yours, it shuts up that annoying donkey braying noise you make when you talk.” And, “Think before you open your mouth; your comment made me sick, as it should any thinking human being.”

I would love to know what makes these individuals tick? What makes them think that it’s okay to say these things?

I know that when people decide to be a public figure they have to be prepared for negative comments. They know that not everyone will like them, but these types of comments are far beyond what anyone should endure.

Most recently, Olympic gymnast Alexa Morino received hateful tweets about her body including, “’My dream is to win one of those hot dog eating contests.’ –Alexa Moreno.

What a way to make a 22-year-old athlete feel good about herself. Nice job, idiots.

I dare any of these internet trolls to come out from where they are hiding and say these things to the faces of these men and women. To the young athlete. To the human beings who they chose to make fun of and degrade. I wonder how they would feel if the tables were turned?

I was taught to treat people how you want to be treated. Perhaps they should take some lessons from my parents or better yet, my children. They could teach them how to be a nice person.

I applaud anyone who is in the public spotlight for the good. To Alexa Moreno, ignore the comments. They are just jealous. To my reporter friends, you are beautiful inside and out. Delete the emails, rip up the letters and block the trolls on your social media channels.

Karma baby, it’s a wonderful thing.