What is the significane of the fourth estate?

Back in the days of medieval England and France, the classes of society were broken down into estates or classes. There were the three common ones. The first estate was the clergy. The second being the nobility and the third was the common people. But as media started to become more and more popular, a new estate emerged, the fourth estate. Media was becoming an ever growing force as new ways of delivering news and propaganda started emerging. The fourth estate was looked at as a higher power that controlled what the lower estates heard and the methods in which they received their news. The fourth estate also reports on what happens in the lower estates, this is the reason why it is called the fourth estate.
The fourth estate is very important in all of our lives today. It is sometimes even referred to as “the fourth branch of government.” (Vivian 379) This is said because without the media and news, there is no way that the government would be able to work and communicate. Also, the media, or the fourth estate, acts as a governing body over the government. It keeps an eye on them, reporting any news or changes to the public which in turn promotes the ideals of democracy.