Fourth Estate is a term referring to the press Journalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and even, more recently, the cellphone. Journalists—be they writers, editors or photographers; broadcast presenters or producers—serve as the chief purveyors of. The term goes back at least to Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator in the first half of the 19th century. Thomas Macaulay Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay PC was a British poet, historian and Whig politician. He wrote extensively as an essayist and reviewer, and on British history. He also held political office as Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841 and Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1848 used it in 1828.
Novelist Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare is an English author, actor, playwright, convicted criminal, and former politician in his work The Fourth Estate made the observation: "In May 1789 Year 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar), Louis XVI Louis XVI ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. Suspended and arrested during the Insurrection of 10 August 1792, he was tried by the National Convention, found guilty of treason, and executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793. He was the only king of France to be executed summoned to Versailles a full meeting of the 'Estates General The Estates-General of 1789 (French: Les États-Généraux de 1789) was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French collection of peoples. The independence from the Crown which it displayed paved the way for the French Revolution'. The First Estate consisted of three hundred clergy. The Second Estate, three hundred nobles. The Third Estate, six hundred commoners. Some years later, after the French Revolution The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of citizenship and, Edmund Burke Edmund Burke was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher who, after relocating to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a member of the Whig party. He is mainly remembered for his opposition to the French Revolution. It led to his becoming the leading figure within the, looking up at the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, said, 'Yonder sits the Fourth Estate, and they are more important than them all.'"
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Primary meaning
The earliest use of the term fourth Estate to mean the press, is found in Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator's book On Heroes and Hero Worship (1841) in which he wrote:
[British politician Edmund] Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all. [Italics added][1]
If, indeed, Burke did make the statement Carlyle attributes to him, his remark may have been in the back of Carlyle's mind when he wrote in his French Revolution (1837 Year 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar)), "A Fourth Estate, of Able Editors, springs up."[2] In this context, the other three estates are those of the French States-General In France under the Ancient Regime, the States-General or Estates-General , was a legislative assembly (see The States) of the different classes (or estates) of French subjects. It had a separate assembly for each of the three estates, which were called and dismissed by the king. It had no true power in its own right; unlike the English parliament: the church The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,, the nobility The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions, and the commoners The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,.
In old days men had the rack. Now they have the press. That is an improvement certainly. But still it is very bad, and wrong, and demoralizing. Somebody — was it Burke? — called journalism the fourth estate. That was true at the time no doubt. But at the present moment it is the only estate. It has eaten up the other three. The Lords Temporal say nothing, the Lords Spiritual have nothing to say, and the House of Commons has nothing to say and says it. We are dominated by Journalism.
Burke, as author of Reflections on the Revolution in France Reflections on the Revolution in France , by Edmund Burke, is one of the best-known intellectual attacks against the (then-infant) French Revolution. In the twentieth century, it much influenced conservative and classical liberal intellectuals, who re-cast Burke's Whig arguments as a critique of Communism and Socialist revolutionary programmes, could have had in mind precisely these three estates, or the three referred to by Henry Fielding Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones in the quotation below.
Alternative meaning
The term Fourth Estate has less frequently referred to the proletariat The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their sons. The term was initially used in a derogatory sense, until Karl Marx used it as a sociological term to refer to the working class in opposition to the three recognized estates of the French Ancien Régime Ancien Régime refers primarily to the aristocratic, social, and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties (14th century to 18th century). The term is French for "Former Regime," but rendered in English as "Old Rule," "Old Order," or simply "Old (or Ancient) Regime".
An early citation for this use—earlier than for the one that now prevails—is Henry Fielding Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones in The Covent Garden Journal The Covent-Garden Journal was an English political and literary periodical published twice a week for most of 1752. It was edited and almost entirely financed by the novelist, playwright, and essayist Henry Fielding, under the pseudonym of "Sir Alexander Drawcansir, Knt. Censor of Great Britain". It was Fielding's fourth and final (1752):
None of our political writers ... take[s] notice of any more than three estates, namely, Kings, Lords, and Commons ... passing by in silence that very large and powerful body which form the fourth estate in this community ... The Mob.[3]
(By mob here is meant the mobile vulgus, the common masses The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their sons. The term was initially used in a derogatory sense, until Karl Marx used it as a sociological term to refer to the working class. It does not refer to the Mafia The Mafia is a Sicilian criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily, and the first such society to be referred to as a mafia (although it is not the first organized criminal society to appear in Italy). It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct.)
See also
- Estates of the realm The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,
- First Estate The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,
- Second Estate The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,
- Third Estate The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later, in some parts of Europe. While various realms inverted the order of the first two, commoners were universally tertiary, and often further divided into burghers and peasants; in some regions,
- Fifth Estate The term "Fifth Estate" has no fixed meaning, but is used to describe any class or group in society other than the clergy , the nobility (Second Estate), the commoners (Third Estate), and the press (Fourth Estate). It has been used to describe trade unions, the poor, the blogosphere and organized crime. It can also be used to describe
Notes
- ^ Qtd. from Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator, "The Hero as Man of Letters. Johnson, Rousseau, Burns", Lecture V, May 19, 1840, from On Heroes and Hero Worship, The Victorian Web, accessed November 18 November 18 is the 322nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 43 days remaining until the end of the year, 2006 2006 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar; qtd. also in part in "The Mass Media as Fourth Estate" in Cultsock.com.
- ^ Chap. 39, Section V, "The Fourth Estate" in French Revolution, rpt. in The French Revolution, World Wide School (online library), accessed November 18 November 18 is the 322nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 43 days remaining until the end of the year, 2006 2006 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ Quoted in worldofquotes.com.
External links
- "The Hero as Man of Letters. Johnson, Rousseau, Burns" from On Heroes and Hero Worship by Thomas Carlyle
- "The Fourth Estate", Section V of French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle, as posted in the online library of World Wide School
Categories: Journalism Categories: Communication | Observation | Mass media | Newspaper publishing
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Q. Hey guys, i know it's something related to the class -estate system prevailing in England & other places as well. But what has that to do with the media?!
Asked by tyke_37 - Sat Jan 10 04:51:15 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. origin: This phrase was originally used as a synonym for newspapers. But with the advent of radio, television, news magazines, etc., its meaning has been broadened to include all of what is known as the mass media. Its coinage, with its present meaning, has been attributed to Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797), a British politician. It comes from a quote in Thomas Carlyle's book, "Heros and Hero Worship in History" (1841). "Burke said that there were three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters Gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important far than they all." The three estates in the above quote refer to the British parliament, the Lords Temporal, the Lords Spiritual and the Commons. The Lords Temporal and the Lords Spiritual… [cont.]
Answered by KTK - Sat Jan 10 04:54:51 2009
