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One term paper given throughout the trimester. Due Week 11...

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Media: The Fourth Branch of Government The media has become a very influential factor in modern time. Whether they are reporting on the newest fashions or the latest issues in The United States, they are always on top of things. Overall, the media has now been known as a fourth branch of government, and rightfully so. The media has been an important social and political factor throughout the years as it portrays a copious amount of issues that arise. A “fourth branch of government” might side quite confusing because people ask, “How can we have another branch of government when there is only 3?” The term, at least to me, is more figurative than literal. Revolvy’s website wrote, “The concept of the media or press as a fourth branch stems from a belief that the news media's responsibility to inform the populace is essential to the healthy functioning of the democracy. The phrase "Fourth Estate" may be used to emphasize the independence of the press particularly when this is contrasted with the press as a "fourth branch"” (Revolvy). The media is an influential factor to how the government goes about their business since they know it can be exposed at any point. Throughout the years, the media and technology have been growing. The vast advances that have been seen technologically are astonishing to the point that the media has now used it as a form of communication with the citizens. Without the technology, the citizens would only be able to read in the papers the events that are happening within the government or world. With technology advancing, it means that citizens have a much faster way of finding out news. That is one of the reasons why the media has had such an impact on the government and citizens. The one thing that media does, with the technology they have, is report things as soon as they receive the news. This is a good thing due to the fact that Americans deserve to know what

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the government is doing behind their backs. It is almost impossible for the government to hide a whole plan of something they are doing due to the fact that it takes one person to slip up and mention something then next thing everyone knows, the media is reporting on it. On one hand that is good for the citizens of the United States that way they will know if the government is ever doing anything that will only harm America. However, it is also a bad thing due to the fact that the government has no privacy. I believe it is good to know exactly what is going on in the government because the citizens should get a say, but at the same time I do believe the government deserves some privacy to try and make changes without worrying whether it will cause an uproar. The sad thing is that the government cannot control that due to the fact that the media is a watchdog. They will follow their every move until there is something to report on. In a sense, that’s the biggest part as to why they are the fourth branch of government. If they are always the first ones reporting the news and having all the inside details, shouldn’t they be included in the debate? While the media being in everyone’s business to the point that it is too much, they also can be used for better purposes. Matt Anthes wrote, “Over time, the federal government has been behind the curve as it pertains to effective use of social media. The government traditionally used its social platforms as a way to provide static information via direct hyperlinks or to provide applicable updates on agencies. As social media has evolved, the government is viewing it more as a tool rather than a mandated “e-government” initiative for public service delivery” (Anthes). He views it as the government is not fully interested or understanding of the good that the media can provide. They are used to the media spilling all their secrets, but they actually can help the government. They can be an “e-government” where news can be delivered online since most people are involved in technology some way or another. Later in his work, he wrote statistics that

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showed that tons of individuals use Twitter. Twitter can be a way to provide information such as upcoming natural disasters and how the public must evacuate or even ways to get the public’s view. They send out so many surveys, but a strong number of those surveys never return due to the fact that people do not want to go out of their way to fill them out. If they did more surveys online or contacted more media agencies to spread the word on events, then they will have more success to get the answers they want. It is obvious that there is a strong divide between the media and government still, but once they figure out how to fix that gap, then the government will have more success with themselves and a better relationship with the media than they currently do. As stated before, the media is seen as a fourth branch of government, but I see it as more of a e-government. While they do not have a say into what laws are passed or what things should be changed, they are still so close-knitted with the information they can receive and distribute to the public. The biggest downfall to the media, I believe, is that some agencies want to spread whatever news they can that it does not even have to be accurate. Some agencies just want the viewers so that they can get more income. This term is called “fake news”. I believe that is a reason why some people are skeptical of the fact that the media can be called a fourth government. While some agencies are truly reporting for the good of the people, others are not. Paul Chadwick wrote, “I hope the research helps to persuade more people that fake news powered by social media is a serious threat to all democracies’ health. A growing bundle of studies shows that this is a qualitatively and quantitatively new problem, not just a digital manifestation of the yellow press of old. Apart from effects on elections and referendums, fake news in social media can assist hate speech to turn into communal violence more quickly” (Chadwick). While the media can be used for the good of the people AND the government, it is difficult to do with fake news being put out into the air. This is what causes the distrust between

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the government and the media. The government may want to interact more with them, but they are worried if the wrong agencies gets their hands-on information, they may turn it around to be more dramatic for more viewers. Overall, fake news can be a major disconnect as to why the government and media are not so close. I believe that the media can be called a fourth government. They are very close with the information that is sent out by the government. While there is a clear disconnect, they are still able to get whatever information they would like. The only concern is the spreading of fake news. It is one of the major reasons as to why the media cannot always be trusted; however, I still believe it can be a fourth government. With their ability to spread the news and let the citizens know the information they deserve, they rightly obtain the title. While some may not agree, I believe that even though they cannot make laws, they still hold a big position in the spreading of information from our government.

Works Cited Anthes, Matt. “Social Media As A Vital Engagement Platform For Government Outreach.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 Oct. 2017,

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www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/10/02/social-media-as-a-vitalengagement-platform-for-government-outreach/#17d9038c4b29. Chadwick, Paul. “Why Fake News on Social Media Travels Faster than the Truth | Paul Chadwick.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/19/fake-news-social-media-twitter-mitjournalism. “Fourth Branch of Government.” Victims Rights, victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/gethelp-bulletins-for-crime-victims/victims-rights....