Journalist ordered to pay Italian Prime Minister for mocking her height

A Milan court has ordered journalist Giulia Cortese to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni damages of €5,000 (approximately $5,400) for mocking her height in a social media post. 

The incident, which occurred in October 2021, was classified as "body shaming" by the court. In addition to the damages, Cortese received a suspended fine of €1,200 ($1,300) for her jibe on Twitter, now named X.

Cortese responded to the verdict on X, writing, "Italy’s government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent." The legal battle between Meloni and Cortese began three years ago when the two women clashed on social media. 

At that time, Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party was in opposition. Meloni initiated legal action after Cortese published a mocked-up photo of her with an image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background. 

Cortese escalated the situation with further tweets, including one stating, “you don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. I can’t even see you.”

Media sources list Meloni’s height as between 1.58 meters (5 feet 2 inches) and 1.63 meters (5 feet 4 inches). Cortese has the option to appeal the sentence, and Meloni’s lawyer indicated that any damages awarded would be donated to charity.

Writing in English on X, Cortese commented on the challenging environment for independent journalists in Italy, stating, "Let’s hope for better days ahead. 

We won’t give up!" The high number of lawsuits against journalists in Italy was highlighted by Reporters Without Borders, which ranked the country 46th in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, a drop of five places.

Meloni is known for taking legal action against journalists. Last year, a Rome court fined best-selling author Roberto Saviano €1,000 ($1,088) plus legal expenses after he insulted her on television in 2021 over her hardline stance on illegal immigration.