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Paper Monitor

11:26 UK time, Monday, 14 April 2008

A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.

The death of five British women in Ecuador once again highlights newspapers' attitudes to using social networking sites for background information and pictures.

At the heart of this is a concern about privacy. It's an issue the Guardian has publicly wrestled with after it used a picture of Bilawal Bhutto - new joint leader of Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's party - in Halloween fancy dress.

Clearly the Guardian is thinking about such matters, and today's paper carries a group shot of the British women with fellow travellers taken from Facebook. But the feeling is one of slight restraint - it omits a picture of the tour guide who was also a victim.

The Telegraph (which refers to the victims, all 18 or over, as "girls") is similarly upfront about where it retrieved its images from. The Daily Mail, meanwhile, sees no reason for restraint. And there's even what looks like a little Photoshopping on one of its front page pictures.

Pictures of a lighter character, from the London Marathon, dominate page three of the Daily Express, which, perplexingly, opts to illustrate the story with a big shot of celebrity runner Kate Lawler in a skimpy bikini. Poor Martin Lel - who, after all won the race - doesn't even get a mention (except in the sports pages).

And full marks to the Times for scrutinising the remarkable achievement of Britain's most publicity ambitious "centenarian" Buster Martin. The pensioner has garnered a good deal of coverage for various exploits - being in a pop band, working for a firm of plumbers into such old age, and, of course, running the marathon.

But the Times reports that the Guinness Book of Records isn't ratifying Mr Martin's claim because it's not convinced of his age. Mr Martin is sticking to his guns but the curious thing is, if he is 94, as the Times alleges, his achievements are only marginally less remarkable.

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