Britney flees; press confused

You have to be impressed by The Sun's machine, if not the behaviour it encourages - as the BBC were reporting on News 24 yesterday that Britney had left treatment "within the last half hour", the front page of the Sun in the 'first look at tomorrow's papers' slot had already been remade to carry the story and distributed to the media. Perhaps they've had a story ready to go since she was admitted.

Emily Smith's coverage is upbeat:

Britney on road to recovery?

Brit the road ... singer smiles after her release

Although, actually, the photo is less of a smile and more of a gurn - and the copy suggests that she's less on the road to recovery, merely being moved:

Fans feared for the troubled pop star as she drove haphazardly round Los Angeles in her black Mercedes.

But they agreed to release her 11 days early when Jamie arranged the hush-hush transfer to a 'more comfortable' clinic.

Hush-hush. Hardly anyone knows about it, apart from the squall of paparazzi around her house, outside the hospital, the fans who stood "feating for her" as she drove around haphazardly, and all the world. It's nice to be in on a secret.

It comes as something of a surprise to discover the 'hush-hush' clinic is, according to the Daily Mail, erm, The Beverley Hills hotel:

The Toxic singer managed to dodge half the waiting press in her dramatic exit as she snuck out one of the hospital's side door.

Seconds later cars and helicopters were following her to the Beverly Hills Hotel.

An hour later her British-raised boyfriend Adnan pulled up at the hotel in a silver Mercedes and went inside to see her.

So, the Sun insists that her father sprung her from UCLA, took her home and then moved her off to another clinic; the Mail, meanwhile, says she went to a hotel. But at least they agree she was released thanks to her parents, right?

Erm, nope: the Mail says that her parents are outraged at her release:

Her parents Lynne and Jamie Spears have condemned her early release from treatment, claiming they fear for her mental health.

In a joint statement through their lawyer, the couple - who are divorced - said: "As parents of an adult child in the throes of a mental health crisis, we were extremely disappointed this morning to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist, our daughter Britney was released from the hospital that could best care for her and keep her safe.

"We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk. There are conservatorship orders in place created to protect our daughter that are being blatantly disregarded. We ask only that the court's orders be enforced so that a tragedy may be averted."

It seems that - pretty much - every detail in The Sun's coverage was wrong. Especially, terribly, the headline - but then, if you say she's getting better, it doesn't make you look quite so ghoulish.

You'd like to think that the lack of anything on the Mirror's website would be because the paper decided to wait until it could report, briefly and accurately - but that would be to confuse lack of resource with a sense of restraint.