The journalists association (IGM) has condemned the “disparaging and abusive” comments made online against PBS Head of News Norma Saliba following her interview with Opposition Leader Bernard Grech on Sunday.

The IGM has called for action by the Hate Crime and Speech Unit, after the journalist wrote to the association calling for the author, Godfrey Leone Ganado, to immediately remove the comments and apologise.

The IGM agreed with Saliba that the comments, in which he referred to Saliba as a “political prostitute” among other things, were “disparaging, degrading and dishonest”.

“It is shameful that in our society there are still those who think that such misogynistic comments are acceptable, especially against journalists doing their duty,” the association said.

The Opposition Leader was quick to condemn the comments and expressed solidarity with Saliba. The Labour Party also condemned the comments by Leone Ganado, for which they blamed the Nationalist Party.

Leone Ganado has apologised in a post on social media.

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