Toronto Star public editor Sharon Burnside on why Britney Spears was worthy of front-page picture treatment on April 14 after it became known a sperm and egg had united within the pop tartlet.

Some excerpts:

Here's how Star EiC Giles Gherson defended the call:

"We've made it a priority to attract younger readers to the paper," editor-in-chief Giles Gherson said. "Britney Spears is a person that a lot of young people have grown up with.

"If you want young people to be part of the broad conversation of a civil society, the newspaper has to figure out a way to draw them in.

"If, on one day of the year, Britney Spears is on the cover of the newspaper, I don't see a dark trend ... I don't see a dumbing down.

"Don't just look at the photo. Look at the range of other stories on the page."

Thursday's lineup included stories about the Kyoto accord; the shooting of white supremacist Wolfgang Droege; a decision by Ontario teachers to suspend work-to-rule and the influence of women in politics.

"This is not to say we got it exactly right," Gherson said.

Now, there was a serious purpose behind the photo.

Tuesday night Gherson had listened to Dr. Bryan Kolb of the University of Lethbridge describe research that showed infant brain development is influenced by chemicals ingested in the womb.

Spears' spouse is a chain smoker. The singer has a reputation for living on junk food. Gherson suggested the photos might help draw readers into the more serious story about Kolb's research. However, Dr. Kolb was travelling and could not be reached, so the plan changed. A Toronto nutritionist was consulted about healthy diets for pregnant women and Spears' fast-food meal was analyzed for its nutritional value.

Without the Kolb angle, the story lost resonance and the photographs lost context. Instead of the photographs illustrating the story, the story illustrated the photographs, which made the package seem especially gratuitous to non-Britney fans.