“Newspapers aren’t there to tell the truth, they only exist to make money.”
After nearly a quarter of a century of Editors Chairs, I must surely have mentioned this quote before. It came from an atheist RE teacher at a school in Aldershot. The guy was very non-conformist but the closest person I ever met to the Robin Williams character in Dead Poets Society.
I was probably 14 when I heard it, and although I had no ambitions of being a journalist, it somehow stuck with me.
(I don’t remember what my career ambitions were at the time apart from working in kennels. As an army kid who attended 11 different schools, I was probably better qualified to work for Ofsted.)
But I was reminded of the advice a couple of weeks ago when I was given a message, ‘a man called Oscar has called from The Sun, he would like a chat. Something about a piece you did with Mark Wallis’
Now call me a cynic, but I didn’t think ‘Oscar’ was phoning to chat about Mark’s excellent record for re-homing his ex-racers. Or how he has nursed two runners with previously broken hocks to win the Regency.
No, after 14 years as a trainer, and having more than a thousand greyhounds tested for drugs, earlier the same day, Mark had picked up a double whammy for two food-chain positives. The full story.
So, did I fancy phoning a cesspit of a newspaper to speak to one of its walking talking turds?
As it turned out, ‘Oscar’ published his story without my help. To be fair, while it was hardly an industry endorsement, it wasn’t quite as sensationalist as I was expecting.
But it did lead me to a moral conundrum.
I should preface it by saying that while I normally defend any stance I take on this site, this time I am hesitant whether I have it right or not.
Having spent most of my journalistic life demanding that the sport’s judiciary should be open and transparent, I now find myself asking – should GBGB be publishing our dirty washing in public? As Shakespeare would have put it ‘being hoisted by our own petard’.
I am not suggesting that the judicial process should change in any way, including any punishment, but do we need to present our collective rear ends and wait to be penetrated by unscrupulous hacks like Oscar?
In the coming weeks and months, it is quite conceivable that trainers will be censured for unnecessarily euthanasing greyhounds.
If and when Oscar calls me back, will it be to run a story on greyhound racing’s reform and greater welfare initiatives? Or will it be headed ‘Top trainer executed dozens of greyhounds!’
It will always be a ‘top’ trainer, even if nobody had heard of him. ‘Executed’ seems like a buzz word for a Sun headline writer (if it isn’t too many syllables for its readers), even if the unfortunate animals were PTS by a vet. As for ‘dozens’, well the disgraced top trainer is hardly going to court to argue that the actual number was five over two years.
There is zero ambition to tell the complete story, or be objective. The low-life object is to sell more papers, or to paraphrase my old teacher . . . to generate click-bait for internet advertising revenue.
(Fake news is our present and future– though here is a surprising BBC take on the subject)
If you did decide to keep the results of stewards inquiries ‘in-house’, they would still need to be monitored – for our sake.
It wouldn’t be hard to set up a small independent committee, chaired possibly by a retired judge. Their job would be simple, ‘does it best serve the interests of greyhound racing that this story should be released’
Yes we lose the right to call ourselves ‘open and transparent’ – not that the antis believe we are anyway – but we also avoid machine gunning ourselves in the foot while trying to do the right thing.
Which leads me on to . . . .which of you, when telling people that you have an interest in, or make your living in the greyhound industry, has not heard . .
1) Is it true what happens to them after they have finished racing?
2) Do they really feed the dogs pies before they race and put chewing gum under their feet to make them run slower?
3) You must admit they lead miserable lives.
Our cause isn’t helped by a greyhound charity who justified promoting the ‘miserable lives’ theme in leaflets in order to increase donations.
In my opinion, we need a coordinated industry response and I am suggesting, ‘The Ten Myths’
When someone say, ‘Is it true they are forced to race?’, it should immediately resonate as ‘#1 They are forced to race’.
Every track should have a stock of leaflets, with each myth covered by four power paragraphs. They could be handed out to any racegoer who has braved the lines of abusive thugs who stand outside dog tracks but call it ‘peaceful protest‘.
Better still, a series of 30 second videos, narrated and with footage dispelling each of the myths. They could be shown in tracks, be used in an industry social media campaign, and even shared in phone texts by greyhound supporters.
We HAVE to fight back.
I have suggested the concept to GBGB’s Mark Bird, who asked me to put something in writing.
But since, I don’t proclaim to have all the best ideas, I thought I would throw it out there, and ask you guys to expand, refine and improve. Here is a short hand version of what I have to date.
10 MYTHS ABOUT GREYHOUND RACING (INITIAL DRAFT)
#1 GREYHOUNDS ARE FORCED TO RACE
Footage/Photo: Dogs being taken from their kennels on raceday. Runners arriving excited at the track. At the pick-up after a race. Pups at a schooling track.
Narrative: Greyhounds CANNOT be made to race. Similar excitement to dog agility and fly-ball. Most greyhounds race for the sheer joy of it. Some don’t – see #3.
#2 THEY ARE PUT TO SLEEP AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS
Footage/Photo: Re-homing kennels, images of owners on dog walks and attending shows etc
Narrative: Breakdown of industry cash resources spent on re-homing. The numbers broken down, from registration. Percentages re-homed and drive to 100%.
#3 THOSE WHO ARE TOO SLOW ARE PUT TO SLEEP
Footage/Photo: Schooling track footage. Young dog being handed over to new owners.
Narrative: Explanation of 1) the very low numbers involved and 2) the fact that docile playful (non-chasing) youngsters are the most in-demand of all from re-homers. There is zero reason to euthanase any dog due to lack of ability or inclination.
#4 THEY ARE RACED WHEN CARRYING INJURIES
Footage/Photo: Veterinary checks at the tracks, trainers using ultrasound, massage etc.
Narrative: Question – why would it be any benefit to anyone to run dogs that were uncompetitive? The short term nature of most common injuries. New kennel staff courses and qualifications to better detect and treat injuries.
#5 GREYHOUNDS HAVE BORING MUNDANE LIVES
Footage/Photo Greyhounds relaxing on their beds in pairs. Being walked. Playing in paddocks and waiting at paddock gates. More racing footage.
Narrative: Who benefits from an unhappy dog? Standard kennel routine compared to pet dogs. Greyhounds’ preference to spend copious time on their beds as couch potatoes.
#6 EX-RACERS ARE SENT TO CHINA TO BE EATEN
Footage/Photo: Possible footage from Yulin Meat Festival, showing different breeds
Narrative: GBGB condemnation and position on export. Numbers involved. The economics of transportation to China. Ultimately, an export veto can only be enforced by the State.
#7 DRUGS ARE USED FOR RACE FIXING
Footage/Photo Sampling stewards and laboratory footage from testing.
Narrative: The annual bookmaker turnover on greyhound racing. The standard of the testing laboratory. The numbers tested/positives. Breakdown on most common positive tests.
#8 GREYHOUNDS ARE ABANDONED AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS
Footage/Photo Pictures of ear tattoos, a greyhound being microchipped, green form.
Narrative: An explanation how the racing greyhound is the most traceable of all animals with brief explanation of owner address verification and GBGB policy on green forms.
#9 GREYHOUND RACING IS ALL ABOUT MONEY
Footage/Photo Scenes of older trainers and children walking greyhounds.
Narrative: Explanation of the hobby nature of greyhound racing with mention of owner trainers whose dogs are also the family pets running for just small prize money and lots of enjoyment.
#10 GREYHOUND RACING IS A DYING SPORT
Footage/Photo Images of some of the tracks that have closed
Narrative: Explanation of land values and social trends in lower attendances across a wide variety of sports. On the plus side, internet streaming means less tracks and greyhounds required, leading to a manageable welfare programme.
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