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The Sun

No More Page 3 takes aim at Sun coverage

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By Steven Raeburn | N/A

January 8, 2014 | 4 min read

The campaign group No More Page 3 has said that its members are “united in anger & sadness" with organisations supporting survivors and those working for an end to violence against women in response to the front page of The Sun newspaper yesterday.

The front page of The Sun

The group said The Sun had utilised inappropriate language and placement, and it was appalled by the coverage of a story reporting rape, sex trafficking and child sex abuse. It has called on the regulator to address its concerns.

“Where newspapers and other publications cover awful crimes such as rape, trafficking and child sex abuse it is vital that language and tone is carefully chosen,” the group said in a statement.

“That the public are made aware of these things is obviously important but it is crucial to consider carefully the language used and the placement of the story so that the seriousness is not lost and that survivors of this and similar crimes are aware that they are being regarded with total respect.”

The group said it was concerned that the story had been placed next to The Sun’s page 3 featuring a topless model.

“It is NEVER appropriate to use the crime of rape to titillate readers or to trivialise it by placing it next to pictures meant to arouse,” the group said.

“Not only is this very likely to traumatise any rape survivor and belittle their experience it also potentially feeds into a culture that considers rape as less than a violent crime and therefore supports rapists by reinforcing and reaffirming that their act was perhaps not “rape” at all.

The End Violence Against Women coalition also responded to The Sun’s report.

“This kind of sensationalised reporting causes real harm by minimising and eroticising sexual violence against women,” the group said.

“The fact is that stories of abuse which are placed next to soft porn on the next page are designed to titillate. It is deeply discriminatory and underlines the need for Page 3 to go and for more responsible reporting of abuse. Furthermore, it is essential for women’s groups and other third parties to be able to complain to the new press regulator about discriminatory reporting.”

A spokesman from The Sun told The Drum: "We respect the rights of free expression for campaigners to make whatever points they choose.

"However, we must not lose sight of the original story here. It was a well-researched report by a (female) campaigning journalist, seeking to expose the horror of sexual slavery in modern Britain. It was given exposure by the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain for the purpose of highlighting the terrible plight of some women, simply in order that action could be taken. This is an example of journalism clearly in the public interest.

"The fact that NoMorePage3 - due to the zealotry of its dislike for the Sun - should offer criticism rather than support says more about its moral and intellectual values than it does about ours."

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