The Australian: Murdoch-owned newspaper accused of downplaying bushfires in favour of picnic races

Herald Sun relegates bushfires to page 4 while Courier Mail brings good news via 'Onion Oracle'

The Australian, Rupert Murdoch's flagship newspaper, has defended itself against criticism it downplayed unprecedented bushfires by failing to put a picture of the disaster on the front page of an edition, even as newspapers across the world featured the harrowing scenes.

Many of the world's leading mastheads featured pictures of the devastation of the Australian bushfires on page one on Thursday. But the Australian's first edition ran an upbeat picture story about the New Year's Day picnic races at Hanging Rock.