Turin, Italy – Extinction Rebellion activists blocked the entrance of the Rai headquarters in Via Verdi on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Around ten women tied themselves together with pink, green and black ropes and covered their mouths with black tape.

They displayed a banner reading “Let’s Free The Information” to denounce what they call distorted media narratives on femicides and ecocides.

“We are occupying the entrance of Rai because instead of doing its job of informing the population correctly, it offers distorted narratives,” said Elsa of Extinction Rebellion. She said this happens on femicides, the eco-climatic crisis and the genocide in Gaza, which she described as “themes marked by the greatest violence: silence.”

Citing the Step Observatory, the activists noted that Italian media still use terms like “sudden outburst” for femicides and often show empathy for perpetrators while sensationalizing rape and sexual violence cases.

They also pointed to the Pavia Observatory, which found that environmental coverage often avoids mentioning the climate crisis, such as a June heat wave where less than a quarter of evening news reports named it as a cause.

According to the activists, selective wording is also evident in coverage of the massacre in Gaza, from avoiding the term “genocide” despite the International Court of Justice warning of a concrete risk, to the different use of “hostages” for Israelis and “prisoners” for Palestinians.

“Rai is increasingly a state broadcaster used for propaganda,” Elsa said, arguing that a public broadcaster carries huge responsibility because democracy depends on free and correct information.

They cited analysis from the Media Pluralism Observatory that links government-appointed Rai leadership to an editorial line that avoids criticism of those in power and sometimes amplifies their positions.

The activists also highlighted that Italy ranks 49th for press freedom, the worst in Western Europe, with threats against journalists up 78 percent in 2025, alongside spying cases involving two Fanpage reporters and an attack on journalist Sigfrido Ranucci.

“We want free and critical information that unmasks distorted narratives, holds citizens and those in power accountable, gives voice to victims instead of protecting perpetrators, and never normalizes violence,” Elsa concluded.

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