Fourth Estate

AbstractThe Fourth Estate serves as an external watchdog for governmental action in addition to the checks and balances among the three branches of power. Embodied in the free press and the public sphere, the Fourth Estate is regarded as a driving force toward democratization and as an indicator for democratic rights and liberties. The mass media of the 20th century have on the one hand enabled modern watchdog journalism, on the other hand are they part of a commercialized corporate system that barely functions as a Fourth Estate. However, the concept of the Fourth Estate remains an important regulative idea and central tenet of liberal democracies. New virtual public spheres and Web‐based platforms give hope for a revitalization of the Fourth Estate. A coalition of networked actors and of traditional news media, captured in the notion of a “networked Fourth Estate,” could reinstate its critical functions.