WHILE I have sometimes used the term ‘fourth estate’, it was only when I was contemplating the subject matter for this week’s editorial that I learned the history of it.

The term has been around for centuries. In Europe, going back to medieval times, the people who participated in the political life of a country were generally divided into three classes or estates.

In England, they were the three groups with representation in parliament; the nobility, clergy, and the common people.

Some other group, like the mob or the public press that had an unofficial influence on public affairs, was called the fourth estate. In the 19th century, fourth estate came to refer exclusively to the press, and now it’s applied to all branches of the news media.

The importance of accountable media cannot be underestimated. Journalists and commentators have great responsibilities, and those who act otherwise give a bad name to their peers.

While press conferences after big races are not that common, I have rarely found them to be hugely enlightening. On the plus side, at least we are facing the winners, the victory party, and theirs is a happy tale.

Not so in other sports, where the vanquished are asked for their opinions and comments, while also trying to process their disappointment or failure.

Imagine lining up the beaten jockeys after a race, moments after suffering defeat, and grilling them about the whys and wherefores for not winning. What that constant questioning could do to your confidence, and to your mental health.

Tennis players face that after all of their matches in major tournaments, and this week Naomi Osaka, the second-best female player in the world, was forced to withdraw from the French Open following the actions of the organisers.

With a curt ‘they understand the assignment’ tweet, a reference to an obligatory attendance at the post-match press conference, and a $15,000 fine, the tournament chiefs effectively forced her out of the Grand Slam event. Osaka is a 23-year-old, four-time Grand Slam winner. The tweet was later deleted.

They most certainly did not foresee the backlash they would encounter, and it was deserved. I was reminded of how differently, and compassionately, as a racing family that we react to someone who may be suffering from a mental health issue.

At the Irish National Stud’s new attraction this week, The Irish Racehorse Experience, Johnny Murtagh and Dr Adrian McGoldrick are shown in conversation about the pressures, and resulting consequences, of being a professional jockey. It is a sobering and thought-provoking few minutes on film. Racing’s empathy is a lesson for tennis chiefs.