We can't talk about press freedom without talking about misogyny

"We can't talk about press freedom without talking about misogyny. This problem is not unique to the media. Gendered attacks are commonplace for those in the public eye, be they performers, politicians or company bosses. The more high-profile the woman, the more likely she is to be targeted, online and in person. It's a subject I have been confronted with as a reporter."

"In 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered after investigating corruption at the highest levels of government in her home country of Malta. She was killed by a car bomb near her home. The violence of the act, and the fact that it had taken place in an EU member state, sent shockwaves through Europe. To the husband and three sons she left behind, however, it did not come as a surprise."

"Caruana Galizia had been subjected to threats and harassment for years. Shortly before her death, she had spoken about what she and her family had endured. This included an arson attack on their home and the killing of family pets one dog had its throat slit. The ruling party had used her face in political attack posters. On social media, she was repeatedly referred to as the witch."

"More recently, I wrote about the Ukrainian reporter Viktoriia Roshchyna. Arbitrarily detained in 2023 while investigating war crimes in the occupied territories, she endured unimaginable suffering, an"

Female journalists face gendered attacks that intensify with public visibility, occurring online and in person. Misogyny affects women across public life, including performers, politicians, and business leaders. Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in 2017 after investigating high-level corruption in Malta, killed by a car bomb near her home. She had endured years of threats and harassment, including an arson attack on her home and the killing of family pets, and her image was used in political attack posters. She was repeatedly called “the witch” on social media. A businessman charged with complicity still awaits trial. Viktoriia Roshchyna was arbitrarily detained in 2023 while investigating war crimes in occupied territories and suffered extreme abuse.

Read at www.theguardian.com