Our 4th Estate. WHAT IS IT?

[anarchy1999]

I thought always is was a free press. Meant as written in the founding documents of this country were to be the ultimate check and balance on our system of governance. What happened? Who is really in control?

[shockingelk]

1. Hollywood? n/t

[anarchy1999]

2. Wrong answer, but close.

Hollywood? You are good at humor in the early am.

[shockingelk]

4. by "good at humor" do you mean "funny"?

Thanks! :)

[prodigal_green]

3. Must be the Crawford Ranch

I'm sure the BFEE has waaay more than 4 estates though...

[radfringe]

5. ummmm..... Halliburton

and related corporations?

[Soopercali]

6. The media is all corporate now.

The publishers no longer come from news backgrounds - they're salespeople. Editorial content is selected by focus groups, not newsworthiness.

And the news budgets are paper thin. They're not always trying to discourage enterprise stories, but it works out that way. At some papers, they ARE trying to discourage initiative - because they've lost too much money in libel suits.

They don't always intend evil. But it happens.