News Digest

Newspaper cover up: Sun calls time on topless Page 3 models after 44 years

British tabloid The Sun appears to have stopped publishing topless pin-ups on page three after 44 years. The tabloid has faced pressure from politicians, anti-sexism campaigners and student bodies who claimed it was sexist. No pictures of bare-chested models have been included on page three since Friday. The Times, which has the same publisher as The Sun, reported that the tabloid decided to quietly drop the feature.

Wow … we’re hearing The Sun may have dropped Page 3. This could be truly historic news and a great day for people power.

No More Page 3 protest group

Dylan Sharpe, head of public relations for The Sun, posted an ambiguous message on Twitter last night which read: “Page 3 will be in The Sun tomorrow in the same place it’s always been - between page 2 and page 4.” The No More Page 3 protest group wrote a message on its Facebook page which read: ”We don’t know the details for sure and there’s still lots to be done. But this could be a huge step for challenging media sexism. And we are so incredibly grateful to all of you who stood up and said No More Page 3.” The campaign group was founded in August 2012 by actress Lucy-Anne Holmes. The page three pin-ups were introduced by the newspaper in 1970, less than a year after Rupert Murdoch bought the title.

The Sun hasn’t suddenly decided that women say, think and do interesting and incredible things, it’s still basically saying women are here for decoration, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Lucy-Anne Holmes, speaking on BBC2’s Newsnight programme