Paper Monitor
11:31 UK time, Friday, 10 October 2008
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
It's Friday and two media giants are slugging it out in the battle for weekend readers.
They have chosen their weapons and they are...
...Sarah Jessica Parker and Echo and the Bunnymen.
In the Daily Mail corner, there's nattily-dressed New Yorker SJP, trained by veteran Paul Dacre.
And in the Times Corner, seasoned coach Rupert Murdoch is pep-talking scruffy Scousers Ian McCulloch and the boys.
It's the latest round in giveaways, a subject oft-debated in in the past.
When the Mail lands on doormats on Saturday, nestled between its pages will be Honeymoon in Vegas, starring SJP and Nicolas Cage (who may have been getting a little confused during filming - last time in Vegas drunk and sad, this time romantic and happy).
But buyers of the Times tomorrow will have to traipse to WHSmith or send off a form in order to receive Echo's offering Ocean Rain.
It's hardly a fair fight under these terms but may the best musician / actress win.
Interestingly, the Times has been mining the rich tradition of 80s indie bands in the last few weeks. Previous to Echo, New Order and The Jesus and Mary Chain have been subject to the same giveaway.
Is this a nod to the radical youth of its 30- and 40-something readers?
The Mail has also chosen to reheat the 80s in its CD covermounts in recent weeks but has gone for safer, less political singers - Paul Young, Haircut 100 etc
If other newspapers were to give away CDs or DVDs this weekend, what should they be and why? Tell us using the comments form below.
The 
Comment number 1.
At 10th Oct 2008, Tozzle wrote:I think probably the Indy should give away Rogue Trader.
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Comment number 2.
At 10th Oct 2008, SheffTim wrote:The Guardian could go with a DVD of The Grapes of Wrath whilst The Telegraph would prefer the nostalgia of Wall Street; The Independent would go for Dickens’s Hard Times.
Given its fondness for apocalyptic headlines The Mail could begin serialising The World at War whilst The Express might prefer the upbeat tunes of Annie.
The Mirror could go for Catherine Cookson’s depression set The Man Who Cried, The Sun would prefer the upbeat Carry On Regardless; whilst the Star could give away (completely unrelated to anything) a Sam Fox video.
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Comment number 3.
At 10th Oct 2008, nigelmccc wrote:Every newspaper in the world could give away a DVD of the film "Crash". Or "The Color of Money", in case we see so little we forget what colour it actually is.
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Comment number 4.
At 10th Oct 2008, JobeyHelen wrote:Well... I think the Mail really ought to give away copies of Helen Mirren's The Queen - after all this financial worry, people might forget that she's still there, Heaven Forbid!!
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Comment number 5.
At 10th Oct 2008, teazeldad wrote:Given the current gloom, I'd suggest that whichever paper gave away a copy of Drop Dead Gorgeous (with Kirstie Allie, Ellen Barkin, Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Alison Janney, Brittany Murphy and so on and so on, which was absolutely CRIMINALLY underrated and is in fact one of the best comedies ever), would be on to a definite winner...
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Comment number 6.
At 10th Oct 2008, Kinsao wrote:Porn. Definitely. At this time of economic misery, everyone needs something to make them feel good...
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Comment number 7.
At 13th Oct 2008, bouji69 wrote:Surely the Indy would give a CD of whale/dolphin songs to relax us in these uncertain times?
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