What Does The “Fourth Estate” Mean?
Journalists are often described as members of the “fourth estate,” a description which raises a question: What is the fourth estate?
In Europe during the Middle Ages it was felt that there were three estates or classes — the nobility, the clergy, and the common people. The press didn’t really fit into any of the existing classes and so in the 1800s the term “fourth estate” came into use as a short-hand expression for journalists.
Today government has replaced the nobility and the press has become the “media.” Still the concept of the “fourth estate” applies: The media is separate and apart from the rest of us.