Rupert Murdoch owned magazine forced to apologise over 'sexist' advert using woman in underwear to advertise intern positions
The News Corp Australia owned publication said it made a 'serious error in judgement'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A fashion magazine owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Australia has apologised after it used a controversial image of a model posing in her underwear while on her hands and knees to advertise a position available for an intern.
The provocative advert featured a model, wearing only lingerie and a pair of high-heeled shoes, on all fours on a bed with 'interns wanted' written across it. It was posted on the Instagram page belonging to Sunday Style, a weekly fashion and beauty insert with a circulation of about 900,000.
The “sexist” advert, which has since been removed from its Instagram page, caused outrage when it was highlighted by journalist Suzanne Carbone, who posted the image on Twitter.
One Twitter user blasted it as “demeaning”, while others questioned how the magazine thought it appropriate to use the image in the first place.
The publication later insisted it takes its intern scheme “very seriously” when it published an apology on Instagram, which read: “We made an error in judgment today with an image used in a recent Instagram post calling for interns that has since been taken down.
"We take our intern program seriously and apologise for any offence caused.”
No More Page 3, a group campaigning against the inclusion of topless women in the The Sun, told Media Tel it was "ridiculously inappropriate" to use such an image.
She said: "However, perhaps most interesting to us is the fact that the ad was withdrawn and apologised for. What a shame that this understanding of what is appropriate and in context doesn't extend to the UK.
"Perhaps, overall, women are not to be taken as seriously - or maybe Mr Murdoch and team feel the representation of women in national news is somehow not as 'serious' an issue? We think it is and that women should always be taken just as seriously as men are."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments