There was also an aussie article where some aussie yob asked the media on arrival at scene of many deaths if they liked BBQ deer

Its seems an appaling subject to make jokes about.

At least it was not the media!

It's possible that it was made by someone on scene using the black humour of someone who has been through trauma - might have been a bit of a warning across the bows to the media not to leech..

Yeah but the media were saying what a hero, good bloke, great laugh this guy was He just struck me as a dickhead.

Each to their own I guess.

How did you go, did you go out with the CFA, I think you had fire near your village, not too close I hope.

Definitely sounds like 'fire brigade' humour to me. Shouldn't have been put out for public consumption though.

Hello did you get any response at all by email/any apology in the paper?

Still waiting......

Ooh look what's just turned up in the Inbox:

Dear Mr XXXX,

Thank you very much for your phone call to the Editor's office.

Whilst it is the case that news of most of the damage caused by the
Australian fires only reached Britain after we went to press on Saturday
evening, it was nevertheless an unfortunate choice of headline.

I am very grateful to you for pointing this out and will speak to the
sub-editors concerned to make sure this does not happen aain.

In the meantime I hope you will accept our sincere apologies for the
offence we have clearly caused you.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Wright
Editor
The Mail on Sunday
_____________________________________
Northcliffe House
2 Derry Street
London, W8 5TS

t. +44 (0) 20 7938 6118 f. +44 (0) 20 7937 6721
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Still not satisfactory given that by the time they went to press 14 deaths had been confirmed! No joking matter!

Did you get a voucher to get a free copy tomorrow Let's face it, no apology would be enough, morons.

Thanks for trying.

Under the offensive caption the last paragraph says 'so far at least 25 people have died in the fires, all in rural towns north of Melbourne', so I dont think this is an appropriate apology.

I did look at Press complaints site but couldnt find a category. Discrimination only applies to an individual.

Not even having to print a public apology in their pathetic paper would suffice, but it would be a start!

The only journalism worse is the cringeworthy women's weekly rags full of 'things my 3 year old said' and full of 'lovely' romantic mini-stories and 'you'd never believe what the inbred pleb we've discovered now has just done!'

See them in waiting rooms. That's how I know the type.

Why on earth did he do that? The British government doesn't own, manage or censor the papers (well...not explicitly, and not on a daily basis, anyway).

My OH used to call them the cancer mags... they were far too depressing to read... far too upsetting as they always had a v sad story about someone who died of a horrendous cancer.. I spent my time crying when I read them (plus kids were little and I was hormonal)... OH told me to throw out the mags.. not to buy them...

Em x

Because they have a Press Office and they should be made aware of the disapproval of what is being said back home about the country in which they are guests!

The Press Office exists for public diplomacy i.e. pumping the UK government's line to Australian decisionmakers and others through the media. What exactly were they supposed to do with that complaint when they have no responsibility for what was said, and no authority to correct/sanction it?