WAS: What Adults are Saying about a Horse and Debauched Media
After a close second in the Derby Journalism was remarkable at the Preakness while revealing truth
Just days ago here it was asserted that a dying information infrastructure and the nearly dead sport of thoroughbred racing might see the Kentucky Derby as a place where its moniker might shine. Journalism (the horse) had a great Derby run but was passed in the home stretch and settled for second.
That race over run over a sloppy, wet mess of a track was a typical Derby in that too many competitors (19) raced the initial stages like a rodeo against too many other horses only there because of a rich owner’s ego. No Derby finisher (let alone winner) traverses the course without encountering some difficulty. For Journalism it was no different but he responded well and impediments did not cause his placing.
Late in the race—within the final furlong—another horse named with appropriate irony for the times appeared on Journalism’s right and slowly began inching away in the muck, mess and mayhem that is any Derby run on a sloppy track. Sovereignty (the horse, not what Americans are now fighting to protect) strolled by to victory as the better mudder with more late race energy.
Ultimately, that Sovereignty topped Journalism in a race where both performed well sounds like a high school essay topic for a kid who paged over the summer at Washington. But horse racing has always had runners with provocative names. Presently you can bet on one named after Congressional Democrats, who of course is a gelding (Nobals), a redundantly named filly in Dangerous Affair and formerly the racing cousins Mywifedoesntknow losing to Mywifeknowseverything.
Aside that, Journalism brought his place cred to the Preakness on May 17th—the second stop in racing’s Triple Crown. Sovereignty’s human connections opted to skip the affair for the Belmont three weeks hence and thus Journalism encountered one Derby runner (Sandman) and seven new equine faces.
As with the Derby he was the betting favorite and unlike Louisville encountered a mostly dry track. On his journey he also encountered more trouble than Apollo 13. At various times in the race he was hopelessly trapped, “bumped” like someone thought he was a linebacker, squeezed between 2200 pounds of horseflesh, ridden poorly by his jockey and started the race’s last 300 yards 10 lengths behind the leader. Somehow, through all of that, he righted himself and hit the finish line first! It was a remarkable effort for whom his backers doubled their money—despite his jockey.
It was also a display of Journalism (the horse) that is seldom seen in Journalism (the near dead institution). Persistent, gritty, at times plodding—Journalism (the horse) won because once finally stretching his legs the truth was found. He was by far the best, fastest, most talented horse among those assembled. Journalism (the dying institution) used to be the same way on the critically important interest of “public good” and the horse’s Preakness success provided a bitter, but apt, metaphor for its collapse.
This was especially painful in a week where longtime CNN “journalist” Jake Tapper emerged as co-author to a “book” that recounted previously known facts about the turmoil in the Biden White House about a second Presidential term. Promoted shamelessly by his cable news employer, the story is at best yesterday’s news and reinforces a style where journalists (with a small “j”) know the game is up so they reach for one last payday. These so called “defenders of truth” now willingly debauch themselves on the way out the door as the building burns—in this case simultaneous to Biden learning the worst of personal health news. Substack truth-teller Steve Schmidt here tells more about this depressing business—and how it too, is served by hacks just like politicians. It is absolutely must reading.
Meanwhile, the rest of us must weigh on the scales of a balanced life the admirable traits and talent Journalism (the horse) has so far flashed in his young racing career against veteran Journalists (former newshounds turned whores) who populate the remaining tatters of its institution. As though the legacy of 47, his madness, cult followers and enablers isn’t enough to juggle for a critical mind, now it must be done amid establishing who in the media is on the take, WHILE concerned for Joe Biden’s health. Wow!
In that little of what appears in Tapper’s co-authored book is “news” in the sense of just being discovered, the obvious question emerges as to why such things were not more vigorously revealed when first learned? Only Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson can answer that and so far they aren’t talking. All of this just reinforces the tawdry, inside-the-beltway norm that everyone just peddles in trading so-called “secrets” while gobbling neatly situated shrimp at the Bloody Mary bar. One more layer of sewage, though not previously unknown, has become pervasive. This at the exact time when so many real people (such as some of those with their critical minds) needed someone to strap-on, get moving their proverbial horse and provide something in the way of informational utility.
Alas, the only real Journalism (as in something resembling factual happenings) to be seen anytime soon is a magnificent brown colt hurtling around a track—maybe even—as Sovereignty (the horse, not the type of freedom and access media once carefully leveraged) chases him. All know what part of the horse todays sits in the Oval Office but its the whole animal—a racing thoroughbred no less—that remains the last chance we’ll have for awhile in seeing anything like truth.