Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

Olympic nerves

So, things are going well for the papers. More gold medals for Team GB, including two more cycling and one more sailing golds. Great! Lovely pictures in all the papers so far of our wonderful all-white success story.

As I posted over at Obsolete in the comments, though, there's a problem on the horizon. Sailing golds and cycling golds are one thing - track & field golds are quite another; they're much more prestigious. It would make much more news sense to put an athletics medal winner on the front page.

But... that would mean success for Christine Ohuruogu. And would mean a quandary for our beloved newspapers.

So how will the coverage pan out?

Ohuruogu wins: Chris Hoy goes on the front. See, double gold medallist outdoes a single gold medallist. That's why he's on the front and not her - nothing to do with race at all! Alternatively, Victoria Pendleton, with tiny inset picture of Ohuruogu.
Ohuruogu gets a medal: All of Team GB's gold medallists go on the front. Celebration of Team GB's brilliance.
Ohuruogu fails to get a medal: Same as above, but with snotty character assassination on "Christine O's flop" piece by wizened old hack in the sports section, slagging her off with whiffs of suggestion like "the rumours failed to go away".

Of course I could be wrong, but we'll see.

*update* Well, we'll find out soon. Keep your eyes open for sly mentions of an 'injection of pace' in the coverage. I can tell you that last year, after Ohuruogu won Team GB's solitary gold medal at the Osaka world athletics championships, the Express went with 'SYRINGE FOUND IN MADELEINE'S APARTMENT' and a photo of Chris Tarrant's new girlfriend; and the Mail went with 'WHAT PRICE OUR GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND!' with a photo of Keira Knightley and a photo of Chris Tarrant's new girlfriend.

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