The UK newspapers let us down today.

But more importantly, they let down the people who died in Paris and what they stoodfor.

OnlyThe Independent got it right.

The rest hidaway behind rational reportage — the cold reporting of the facts.

What we got from most headlines was'assault on free speech', 'attack ondemocracy', the 'barbarism of the murderers', the 'horror of the crime'.

What we needed was the symbolic gesture, thefuck-you defiance of the murderers and everything they represent.

The Independent sensed this, and it saw it through.

Its single finger salute, in the style of Charlie Hebdo, displayed an emotive solidarity with the people who died, and a courageous commitment to their ideals.

It walked the walk, while the other front pagestalked the talk, and cowered behind the intricacies of the event.