Italian journalist Giulia Cortese faces consequences
Italian journalist Giulia Cortese may face financial consequences due to comments she made about the height of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. After a heated debate on Twitter in 2021, a court in Milan ruled that Cortese must pay Meloni 5000 euros. Cortese engaged in a debate on social media with Meloni, where she posted a photoshopped image of Meloni with Benito Mussolini. Cortese also made degrading comments about Meloni’s height, calling her a “small woman”.
Court ruling and implications
The court deemed Cortese’s comments about Meloni’s size as “body shaming”, while her comparison to Mussolini went unpunished. Meloni, who is around 1.60 meters tall, has faced similar legal actions in the past, with journalist Roberto Saviano being fined for an insult on television. This incident is part of a larger trend of increasing lawsuits against journalists in Italy, leading to a decline in media freedom rankings in the country.
Cortese criticized the court’s decision as an attack on media freedom, feeling targeted as a journalist critical of the government. She has the option to appeal the verdict, but is unsure about the potential costs and outcome of continuing the legal battle. The case highlights concerns about restrictions on freedom of speech and the challenges journalists face in Italy.
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