The fourth estate is the press as a player in medieval power structures in addition to the clerical, noble, and common estates. The term is applied to all journalistic activity today. Its job is to monitor the other branches as an external check on behalf of the people. It has adapted the watchdog role. That is the concept of the press as a skeptical and critical monitor of the government. An example of this is investigative journalism and The Hummel Report. Their job is to uncover things about the government or on goings that are not covered by major news stations. This is beneficial to the people because we have few ways of uncovering these things ourselves and criticizing the government. Things like Watergate would not be revealed if it weren’t for journalists who ask as watchdogs.
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