ROME. A Milan court has ruled that journalist Giulia Cortese must pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni €5,000 (approximately $5,400) in damages for a tweet mocking Meloni’s height. The court also imposed a suspended fine of €1,200 (around $1,300) on Cortese for what was deemed “body shaming.”
The tweet in question, posted on October 2021, featured a jibe about Meloni’s height and was part of a broader social media dispute between the two. Meloni, then a leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, had previously reacted to a mocked-up photo posted by Cortese, which included an image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background.
In response to the court’s decision, Cortese criticized the ruling on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Italy’s government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.” She further commented, “Let’s hope for better days ahead. We won’t give up!”
Meloni, whose height is listed as between 1.58 meters (5 feet 2 inches) and 1.63 meters (5 feet 4 inches) on various media websites, has indicated that any damages awarded to her will be donated to charity, according to her lawyer.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about press freedom in Italy. Reporters Without Borders noted a high number of lawsuits against journalists in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, which led to Italy dropping five places to 46th.
Meloni has a history of legal actions against journalists, including a recent case involving best-selling author Roberto Saviano, who was fined €1,000 ($1,088) for insulting her on television over her immigration policies.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
