Phwoar no more: British tabloid The Sun has ended a decades-old tradition of putting topless women on page three.
The Times, which like The Sun is owned by billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's News UK, said on Tuesday that last Friday's edition of the tabloid was the last to feature a nude model after 44 years.
"The Sun will no longer feature topless models on page three," The Times said, adding that the change had been on the cards since billionaire Murdoch last year described the custom as "old-fashioned".
Education minister Nicky Morgan, who is responsible for women and equalities in the cabinet, was quick to welcome the news.
"This is a long-overdue decision and marks a small but significant step towards improving media portrayal of women and girls," she said.
"I very much hope it remains permanent."
The tabloid is the country's best-selling newspaper and has a circulation of around 2.2 million. It played down the story, with head of public relations Dylan Sharpe describing it as "speculation".
"The Sun hasn't said either way what's happening to page three," he told AFP.
Tuesday's edition featured a photo of actresses in bikinis frolicking on a Dubai beach on page three, while Monday's edition had a model in lingerie.
A tag line at the bottom of the page on Tuesday invited readers to view the online edition for topless photos of "Lucy from Warwick", implying that nudity may have shifted from print to the web.
The pin-ups have featured in the newspaper since 1970 when 20-year-old German model Stephanie Rahn became the first 'Page Three Girl'.
The page, which launched the careers of models Samantha Fox in the 1980s and Katie Price in the 1990s, has also long been criticised as sexist.
An active petition to stop The Sun featuring topless models gathered more than 217,000 signatures. But a poll by Yougov in 2012 found 61 percent of respondents in favour of keeping the pin-ups.
The No More Page 3 campaign welcomed the apparent change in a Facebook posting, calling it "truly historic news and a great day for people power".
The campaign was founded in 2012 by actress Lucy-Anne Holmes with support from groups including Girlguiding UK, Mumsnet and Breast Cancer UK.
Holmes reacted cautiously to the reports.
"It's still basically saying women are here for decoration but it's a step in the right direction," she told BBC 2.
AFP
source: newshub archive
