Zoo Weekly apologises to Hanson-Young over photoshopping, admitting it was ‘in poor taste’
Zoo Weekly has had to apologise to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young over the weekend after she won her defamation case against the Bauer Media publication, with the lad’s mag acknowledging a photoshop of the high-profile politician “was in poor taste”.
The title, which is currently the subject of a Change.org petition to have it banned from sale in supermarkets, carried an article in 2012 saying it would “house the next boatload of asylum seekers in the Zoo office” if Hanson-Young would agree to a “tasteful” bikini or lingerie photo shoot. It was accompanied by a an image of Hanson-Young’s head photoshopped onto the bod of a lingerie-clad model.
“We accept that the article was in poor taste. Senator Hanson-Young has made a significant contribution to asylum seeker policy in this country. We sincerely apologise for an hurt we caused,” the apology stated.
Zoo’s Weekly apology to Senator Hanson-Young
Scary state of affairs when defamation has been extended to swatting out something that is in poor taste, but hardly defamatory in and of itself, let alone that traditionally defamation actions in Australia usually have as a burden of proof that the alleged defamatory action has caused current or potential future financial harm.
How utterly ridiculous. She is a politician and should be able to cope with satire and ridicule, and yes, that’s exactly what this is if you’d read the original piece. This is yet another attack on freedom of speech. If you can’t take the piss out of pollies, then the terrorists really have won.
Diddums
I feel very sad for you Andy. I just hope that was a lame attempt at satire but I fear not.
Zoo have been photoshopping heads on semi-naked bodies of MEN AND WOMEN for over 8 years. It’s clearly satire and was never illegal before. Yet now politicians can successfully sue for it. WOW.