Framing femicide: from "crime of passion" to patriarchy. Mapping the discursive turning point in the media coverage of Giulia Cecchettin

This thesis presents a comparative case study on the media representation of femicide, focusing on the 2023-2024 coverage of the Giulia Cecchettin case in Italian press. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis and Multimodal Semiotics on a corpus of articles, the research examines how this specific case functioned as a catalyst for a paradigm shift in journalistic narratives. The analysis investigates the transition from episodic frames to a systemic discourse on patriarchy, highlighting the role of counter-narratives in challenging traditional tropes such as "himpathy" and romanticized imagery. By evaluating the interaction between text and layout, the study maps the emergence of new ethical and linguistic standards in the reporting of gender-based violence.