Portland News Anchor Maggie Vespa Went Viral for Her On-Air Rebuttal to an Internet Troll

Over Instagram DM, the viewer informed Vespa that her “crazy pants” were “not cool looking, in any way” and that she was “way too pretty to look so foolish.”

IMAGE: Mick Hangland-Skill.

This past September, Portland was subject to a crisis of journalistic integrity.

Maggie Vespa, a KGW-TV news anchor with nearly a decade of experience, dared to report her weekend news segment in a pair of high-waisted pants. And Jeffrey just had to take a stand.

Over Instagram DM, the viewer informed Vespa that her "crazy pants" were "not cool looking, in any way" and that she was "way too pretty to look so foolish."

"Try dressing like a normal woman," he continued. "Doesn't KGW pay you enough for a wardrobe makeover?"

But people who work in broadcast news are a tough breed.

Vespa saw Jeffrey's DM and raised him an on-air rebuttal, speaking to the uniquely female pressure to present an image of physical attractiveness at all times.

"We put ourselves out there for the purpose of spreading valuable information," Vespa says. "But it's a vulnerable position because often people use you as their punching bag if they don't like the information."

The segment landed Vespa in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and a flurry of other national news outlets. She also decided to report every show of the weekend in a different pair of high-waisted pants.

"Not every person has people around them saying, 'Screw the critics,'" Vespa says. "So many messages came in of people saying, 'I needed this,' or, 'I know someone who needed this.' It reminded me that if you're in a position of strength and you're feeling confident, the best thing you can do with that is share it."

32 Reasons to love Portland (wesley Lapointe)

1. Because we're creating new neighborhoods…

2. Because we made voting even easier… 

3. Because a doomed building is now a temporary work of art… 

4. Because we're still No. 1 in semi-factual superlatives… 

5. Because you can finally get a beer for less than $10 at Moda Center… 

6. Because our news anchors don't take crap from internet trolls… 

7. Because University of Portland continues to turn out some of the best women's soccer players in the world… 

8. Because we are the champions of cyclocross…

9. … and roller derby… 

10. … and air guitar…

11. Because we're turning wastewater into beer…

12. … and beer into exercise…

13. Because a local punk legend is holding a permanent rummage sale in the basement of a record shop…

14. Because we let you stop and smell the weed…

15. Because we're a world hub for slap-tagging…

16. Because even Texans are impressed by our barbecue… 

17. … and you can get almost any style of pizza here… 

18. … and also, we've perfected the soy curl… 

19. Because we're dedicated to keeping our strippers healthy and limber…

20. Because our gynecologists are building a better speculum…

21. Because our airport keeps getting more awesome…

22. …and so does Movie Madness…

23. Because we're making Halloweens more inclusive…

24. Because the city's most daring developer is growing strawberry fields in the sky…

25. Because we're bringing the pay phone back, minus the "pay" part…

26. Because you can turn on the TV and see your neighbor compete in an eating contest against a bear…

27. Because hardcore foosball players finally have a home…

28. Because we're home to the largest astrology school in the United States… 

29. Because this is the best place in the country to be a witch… 

30. Because we believe no kitty should be left behind…

31. Because the barred owls are taking over…

32. Because the best Trail Blazer in history is playing in front of us… 

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