There are times that I worry about society...
If someone called me "it", I'd shrug it off. It's not as if they punch me in face and then had sex with my mother. But nowadays, everyone's a special snowflake, and getting called "it" warrants to take to social media and journalism sites, crying about social injustice.
There are legitimate times to complain, and that was not one of them. If you were offended, you privately and calmly discuss the issue with the individual like a big person should do
... Or in severe cases, you take it up with their employers privately.
You do not bring such a trivial matter out into the public over social media sites and news sites like a ten year old would... If I was the employer for the journalist, I'd fire him.