Social Media As The Fourth Government Branch

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The Role of Media as the Fourth Branch of the United States Government
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Media as the fourth arm of the government is a new concept that play the role of
informing the populace in democracy. Mass media involves conveying information to large
public audiences cheaply and efficiently. Different media methods include print media,
television, radio, and digital media (social media, e-news, and e-government). Since the 1990s,
the media has been growing as a powerful arm of the government. It has impacted many spheres
such as expressions, collective organization, agitation, and organization. Initially, only print
media like newspapers and magazines were used as the main communication mediums.
However, the growth of the technology has facilitated new effective channels that instill
confidence and trust between the government and the citizens. The main roles of the media
include promoting freedom of speech, democracy, and open judiciary.
The media facilitates expressions such as freedom of speech. The free press is a critical
bedrock for stable democracy in the states. Digital media provides the medium where all the
citizens to express their issues, opinions, and concerns to the government (Koltay, 2019). In the
past, the government used the media as a weapon to control the freedom of speech as the tools or
mediums of communication were solemnly accessible. The monopoly of press power is
concentrated in a few channels of information dissemination that infringe the rights of speech for
different groups across the states to have adequate access to the tools of valuable speech in
collective bargaining, collective organization, and other expressions of speech. The rich people
and the bourgeoisie used the monopoly of the press to oppress the poor and the other minority.
Social media, the internet, and e-news have facilitated freedom of speech for all people. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "Everyone has the right of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek,
receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers"
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(Ramcharan, 2021). The media serves as a watchdog for reinforcing the freedom of speech for
all diversities in the United States.
The media functions as a system to protect democracy. The media is placed alongside the
judicial, legislative, and executive branches to oversee the functioning of the democracy. In the
current era, there is an increase in centralized political powers that undermine information
dissemination. Consequently, it limits freedom and promotes the oppression of minorities. The
media is an oversight agent to reduce the centralized political powers that work against
democracy. The press maintains accountability and transparency regarding the information and
news dispersed to the public (Jha & Kodila-Tedika, 2020). It can scrutinize and showcase the
dark sides of politics, socio-economics, corporates, and other spheres. According to the Fourth
Estate Model, the presence of free and efficient media or press acts as an agent for reinforcing
accountability and the common interests of all people (De Albuquerque, 2019). The Fourth
Estate describes the modern media that is supported by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
It frees the press from any governmental control that can undermine the democracy in the
country. The freedom to act independently confers the power to oversee the democracy of the
citizens without the influence of the government. Thus, the media fosters democracy by ensuring
transparency and accountability in information dissemination.
The media plays a critical role in judiciary oversight by promoting open justice.
Journalists, lobbyists, and other media personalities have the expertise in court reporting and
bringing different diagonals of cases and issues than the other parties. They have the skills and
capabilities required to represent the interests of other parties in the open justice system.
According to Tucker (2018), when seeking to understand rights, media professionals must
examine how the justice system works to ensure complete and fair reporting that ascertains the
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citizen's rights and interests are honored. The media professionals operate in the fundamental
principles of democracy to foster public scrutiny in the justice system's operations. As a result,
open justice overthrows judiciary arbitrariness, weakening fair and just settlement of cases when
hidden from the public. Also, the investigative media helps uncover malpractices in the judicial
system that lead to wrongful convictions and verdicts (O'Leary & Green, 2020). Every
proceeding and judgment of the courts are communicated to the public. As a result, it safeguards
the rights of the citizens and reinforces public trust in the judicial system.
Thus, mass media, the fourth branch of the United States government, plays a vital role in
communication between the public and the government. It facilitates freedom, democracy, and
open justice. Modern media channels provide an opportunity for all people, including minorities,
to have freedom of speech and expression without interference by the government. For instance,
social media and the internet have greatly impacted how people can lobby for their rights and
raise issues. The media fosters democracy by ensuring there is transparency and accountability in
the dissemination of information. It also promotes scrutiny over all government activities and
politics to ensure there is democracy. Further, it promotes fairness and justice by facilitating
open justice. It also ensures just and fair reporting of the court proceedings and issues to the
public.
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References
De Albuquerque, A. (2019). Protecting democracy or conspiring against it? Media and politics in
Latin America: A glimpse from Brazil. Journalism, 20(7), 906-923.
Jha, C. K., & Kodila-Tedika, O. (2020). Does social media promote democracy? Some empirical
evidence. Journal of Policy Modeling, 42(2), 271-290.
Koltay, A. (2019). New media and freedom of expression. Journal of Media Law. 11 (2), 163-
170.
O'Leary, N., & Green, S. (2020). From Invisible to Conspicuous: The Rise of Victim Activism in
the Politics of Justice. In Victimology (pp. 159-183). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Ramcharan, B. G. (2021). The concept and present status of the international protection of
human rights: forty years after the universal declaration. BRILL.
Tucker, D. (2018). Modern Hegemony-Implicit Bias, Media, and the Criminal Justice
System. Tenn. J. Race Gender & Soc. Just., 7, 125.

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1

include promoting freedom of speech, democracy, and open judiciary.

mediums of communication were solemnly accessible. The monopoly of press power is

all diversities in the United States.

transparency and accountability in information dissemination.

Latin America: A glimpse from Brazil. Journalism, 20(7), 906-923.

evidence. Journal of Policy Modeling, 42(2), 271-290.

the Politics of Justice. In Victimology (pp. 159-183). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Ramcharan, B. G. (2021). The concept and present status of the international protection of

human rights: forty years after the universal declaration. BRILL.

System. Tenn. J. Race Gender & Soc. Just., 7, 125.

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