今日吃瓜

THE聽Australian Press Council (APC) has branded the Courier Mail鈥檚聽coverage of murder victim and Brisbane trans woman Mayang Prasetyo last year as 鈥済ratuitous鈥� and in breach of several council standards.

The newspaper鈥檚 headline 鈥淢onster Chef and the She Male鈥� along with coverage that detailed her occupation as a sex worker, a photo of Prasetyo wearing a bikini and usage of the term 鈥渓adyboy鈥�, .

[showads聽ad=MREC]Prasetyo was killed by her partner Marcus Volke in a gruesome murder/suicide case in October last year.

The , declaring the Courier Mail聽breached two standards with its coverage but found it had not broken a third regarding a right of reply.

The Courier Mail defended its usage of transphobic language including 鈥渟he male鈥� and 鈥渓adyboy鈥�, saying that those were terms Prasetyo had used herself generally and in her sex work advertising. The paper said 鈥渓adyboy鈥� was a 鈥渢erm applied regularly to transsexuals in Asia鈥�.

While the聽use of a photo of Prasetyo in swimwear and its placement on the front page also attracted聽criticism, the paper said that image聽and others were taken from her public Facebook page. The Courier Mail added that she had told friends she was 鈥減roud鈥� of them and had used them to promote herself for work.

The , acknowledging that its coverage 鈥渆vidently caused offence鈥� and in response to the APC鈥檚 enquiries, had taken steps to address community concerns.

鈥淢any believe that yesterday we presented Mayang鈥檚 story in a way that was disrespectful to her memory,” the newspaper stated in October.

“The Courier Mail had no intention of diminishing the value of Mayang鈥檚 life, or to add to the grief being felt by her family.鈥�

In addition, the聽paper published a piece by the Transgender Support Association Queensland and several other critical letters.

The Courier Mail was also condemned for appearing to sensationalise Prasetyo鈥檚 profession as a sex worker.

鈥淭his is a case of domestic violence and a victim of crime situation. How someone described themselves in terms of an occupation is irrelevant,鈥� Transgender Victoria executive director Sally Golder told the Star Observer in October.

鈥淗ypothetically, put it the other way around: would there have been a description 鈥榗is-gender bank teller killed鈥� or 鈥榞ender-expected hairdresser killed?鈥� Of course not.

鈥淭his is primarily a story about murder, victims of crime and domestic violence. If there was transphobia behind the alleged crime, then report that, but not just the gender identity issue in itself.鈥�

In its defence the Courier Mail told the APC it believed publishing her profession was of public interest as it was a part of Prasetyo鈥檚 background and investigation into her death, and therefore a legitimate detail to report.

However, the聽APC ruled that聽this contributed to the offence it had caused the trans* and wider community.

鈥淭he Council considers that the prominent treatment given to the victim鈥檚 gender, and the repetitive detail of her sex work, was gratuitous and contributed to the substantial offence caused by the terminology used to describe the murder victim,鈥� .

鈥淭his was not sufficiently warranted in the public interest. For the same reasons, Ms Prasetyo鈥檚 death was presented in a manner that was not reasonably fair and balanced.鈥�

The APC also聽found that the Courier Mail had breached standards relating to 鈥渞easonable fairness and balance鈥� and that “writers鈥� expressions of opinion are not based on significantly inaccurate factual material or omission of key facts.鈥�

The APC added that聽the聽paper had breached a standard that ensures editorial does not cause or contribute to 鈥渙ffence, distress or prejudice鈥�.

However,聽it acknowledged聽that the Courier Mail had taken steps to address to complaints, implement measures to improve reporting standards and allowed 鈥渁 fair opportunity鈥� for a right of reply.