The Importance of The Fourth Estate

Originally the definition of the fourth estate was as the press in medieval power structures, after the clerical, noble and common estates according to The Media of Mass Communication. The first recorded use of the term came from Edmund Burke in the mid 1700s. As the U.S. Constitution was constructed it created a three branch government with an Amendment giving freedom to the press. Inadvertently the press became known as the fourth branch of government, monitoring the other branches.


As the press acts as a watchdog for the government, the public is made aware of information otherwise unknown. With the freedom of the press there is an added incentive for government officials to remain honest. An example of the importance of this "fourth estate" is shown in the Minneapolis bridge collapse where the media uncovered information about bad inspection marks for the bridge over a number years due to funding being spent on a baseball field. Examples like this show the importance of the media's ability to uncover the truth and present it to the public. Without the power of the press, government would not be forced to inform the public of many things. With that in mind it is clear that the fourth estate is the most important part of the government, reducing corruption significantly.