We didn't mean to diminish victim: Courier-Mail

The Courier-Mail acknowledged in an editorial that headlines labelling murder victim Mayang Prasetyo a "she-male" and "ladyboy" caused many to believe it "presented Mayang's story in a way that was disrespectful to her memory".

However, the newspaper stopped short of the public apology demanded by nearly 22,000 people who have signed an online petition on change.org  so far.

"The Courier-Mail had no intention of diminishing the value of Mayang's life, or to add to the grief being felt by her family," the editorial reads.

The Courier-Mail editor Christopher Dore has declined all media requests for interviews.

Widespread social media outrage greeted Tuesday's front page, while some have taken to social media again to label Wednesday's editorial inadequate.

As anger mounts, @couriermail made a non-apology statement about yesterday's front page: http://t.co/cCnWzTwW0q pic.twitter.com/lnbY3xSDQV — SameSame.com.au (@samesame) October 8, 2014

Brisbane businesses are also expressing displeasure with the news organisation, with at least two cafes publicly announcing they will no longer stock News Corp publications.

Wavell Heights' Bowerbird Cafe announced the move on its Facebook page, to a highly favourable customer response. It was followed shortly after by Chermside's Shutter and Brew.

Transgender awareness and advocacy group Trans Health Australia told Fairfax Media on Tuesday the coverage of Ms Prasetyos' death, reportedly at the hands of her partner Marcus Volke, dehumanised an already fragile sector of the community.

"It's disgusting, it's just sensationalism, it's dehumanising a trans woman," she said.

"She is the victim here and they are vilifying, stigmatising and dehumanising the victim, making her to look like she's just as bad as her sick boyfriend."

The Australian Press Council confirmed on Tuesday it had received at least one complaint about the coverage.