On-Camera Coach

CHAPTER 6 Looking the Part—Wardrobe 101

When I anchored the noon newscast, there were weekly segments during which I interviewed a special guest on a topic aligned with a theme. On Mondays, it was time for “Doctor on Call.” Thursdays were reserved for the “Home Pro” or “Pet of the Week.” Fridays were the tastiest days of the week, thanks to “Cooking with Class.” The segments were not hosted from the anchor desk, but rather from what we called the interview set, which was equipped with the required furniture like a portable kitchen or a puppy playpen.

I am a relatively statuesque gal, nearly six feet tall with seemingly five feet of my height attributed to my legs. Periodically, I would wear skirts to work. While it was not normally an issue, on “Doctor on Call” days, it caused controversy—at least in the eyes of one of my more vocal critics. When standing, my skirts would always hit somewhere just north of the knee—certainly nothing risqué. However, when I would sit down, my skirt would travel a little higher and expose a bit more of my leg—an already genetically elongated expanse, exaggerated by the camera angle.

Had this image not been broadcast, I would not have thought anything of it. But it was, and one particularly persistent caller regularly brought a perceived problem to my attention.

• [BRRNGG]
• Me: “Thank you for Turning to Ten. This is Karin Reed. How may I help you?”
• Female Caller with a Gravelly Voice: “Stop wearing those short skirts. You look like a slut.”
• Me: