Paper Monitor
10:27 UK time, Thursday, 17 May 2007
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
It's always interesting when a newspaper columist works themselves up into a state of righteous indignation - and quite frequent. Today it's star columist in the Times, Matthew Parris.
"Yellow ribbons for Maddy in the Commons chamber. Yuk. What disgusting, mawkish, creepy behaviour by pathetic MPs hoping to tap into the emotions of the mob, to live like the common people, feel what the common people feel. 'Look, I’m blubbing too, just like you: vote for me.' Is this how people get sucked into waves of shallow public sentiment? First you copy the ribbons, then the tears and finally you think you’re feeling it too. Poor parents of Madeleine McCann. Why doesn’t everyone just leave them alone?"
Elsewhere in the paper, a cover story in Times2: "Coping with tragedy: The counselling techniques helping the McCanns." Maybe he means everyone expect Times journalists.
Talking of emotions, Sir Mick Jagger is reportedly very upset by comments made by his former wife Jerry Hall, accusing him of being tight with his money, even when it comes to their four children. In fact, he's so upset he's "abandoned his vow of silence" when it comes to the press, to talk to the Times.
The whole of page three is devoted to the scoop - which consists of one sentence. Bet it's a gripping sentence though? Not really.
"I find her remarks absurd, I have always paid all expenses for the children as well as the lion's share of the costs relating to her lifestyle and been more than happy to do so." That, my friends, is it. Hardly worth breaking your "self-imposed media purdah" for. Still, it is a masterclass in building a story from practically nothing.
Finally, the Daily Mail - a critic of super-skinny celebrities - ups the stakes in the size zero debate. It's found a woman who's had 13 children, is pregnant again and has a 23 inch waist - reportedly the size of Victoria Beckham's middle. Also the size Gap use for a seven-year-old's trousers.
After the birth of her first child she was back in her usual jeans in less than a week. After another birth she slimmed back down to 7st 3lbs within days. Come on all you new mothers, not a size zero yet? How lazy.
The 
