Chucking eggs at tabloid hypocrites

A refreshing piece on tabloid depths by Rod Liddle in the current Speccy. He does some reporting - actually visiting - and some fine opinionating about Nora Black, the mother of Leighanne. The daughter, and the whole family, were ridiculed and abused in the tabloids last month after an outburst in the youth court.

Leighanne's parents had the foresight to bring some eggs to chuck at the press photographers. Liddle hopes that he would have the courage do the same in similar circs. He writes:

Shortly before I left their house, Nora showed me a note which sort of confirmed all you might have thought about our tabloid press and its quite breathtaking, staggering hypocrisy. It had been shoved under the door by a bloke from the local news agency and detailed a number of offers from Fleet Street publications for Nora - offers to someone whom they had, previously, gleefully vilified.

Helen Weathers at 'Femail' (the Daily Mail) was prepared to pay £500 for an exclusive interview giving her side of the story. Emma Doman at the Daily Express was offering a similar amount. Sharon Hendy from the Sun was prepared to give Nora a 'free makeover' following her hideous mooning picture. Nick Appleyard at the Daily Sport was prepared to pay £700 for Nora to, oh God help us, 'get her tits out' for the paper.

Liddle admires the contempt that Mr and Mrs Black, "perpetually on their uppers, jobless and disabled", shows these offers. And wonders, "frankly, if you had some eggs to hand, wouldn't you throw them at Sharon and Nick and Emma and Helen?"

You don't even need to ask.

Les