What is the significance of the fourth estate?

In England and France in medieval times, society was structured into classes of people called estates. The first three estates were the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. However when Johann Gutenburg invented the printing press the idea of mass-produced written words became a growing power in society. the press eventually became known as the fourth estate. Now it is known as the fourth branch of government in the United States next to the legislative, executive, and judicial branch. The reason the media, or the fourth branch of government is so important is because its most important job is to moniter the other branches on behalf of the people. The media always keeps a close eye on government and anything else important going on around us and it reports it to the people in a simple understandable way. This is why the fourth estate is sometimes called the watchdog of the people. The media is always on the side of the common people constantly informing them about what is going on in the world around them. This is why the fourth estate is so important.