Cameron Craig Likely Out For Season After DUI Arrest

Paul, you are entitled to your opinion. Mine is that you call it wrong on many levels, including a woefully misdirected blame aimed at media for causing mental illness among swimmers. You write that on the very day we highlight the words of Michael Phelps; you write that in the first two months of a year on which we raise the issues we are raising in our 2020sVision series; and you assume way too much when it comes to how we will report Regan Smith’s pathway. If you feel that world records of 57 and 2:03, two World titles etc do not raise expectations off their own steam, I beg to differ.

I agree that covering the achievements and progress of 11-14 year olds as if it were the Olympics etc is problematic… but as far as I can see, we are not the ones doing that.

Looking back at our reporting, we have raised no expectation: Regan and those working with her have done that simply by her becoming the best in the world. I would imagine both she and those around her understand that very well and would be surprised if any of them feel that Swimming World has placed the weight of the world on her shoulders. SW was never ‘unkind’ to Missy Franklin nor will it be unkind to Regan Smith. Reporting things as they are is not ‘unkind’.

I don’t doubt for a moment that when Michael Phelps made the mistake and landed a drink drive ticket (as a boy and later a man), the publicity that followed contributed to his sense of ill-being. It may also have contributed to him appreciating impact and seriousness. Wherever we feel reporting of such things fits along a personal spectrum of opinion on ‘right and wrong’, there can be no question that the story represented legitimate reporting.

Would you have said ‘don’t report Phelps’ mistakes’? Did he ever think that was a reasonable expectation following act and outcome?

When you say ‘consider the impact’, the first who need to do that are those directly involved, including the governors and guardians of the sport. If anyone has failed athletes, then ask the athletes who that would be. Our coverage of late on many athlete-impact issues points clearly in one direction – and that isn’t the media, including us.

The direction of our reporting has been to highlight athlete issues, very much so – and more and better than most. The story you highlight involved an athlete getting it wrong. It was a legitimate news line. When Andy says we hate to report it, he does not mean that we should not; he means it in the sense that we would rather not have had to report on Phelps, on abuse, on wrongdoing, on bad behaviour and practice – but those things are very much a part of the story.

What really matters to you, matters to you. That’s fair enough. What you don’t think matters, may matter a great deal to others. That’s part of the editorial process. I invite you to think more deeply about it all. Thanks for understanding.