The press and news media are referred to as the Fourth Estate or fourth power because of their stated advocacy and implicit ability to shape political issues.
The term "fourth estate" is derived from the old European concept of the three estates of the realm: clergy, aristocracy, and commoners.
The term "fourth power" is not widely used in English, but it is used in many European languages, including Italian (quarto potere), German (Vierte Gewalt), Spanish (Cuarto poder), and French (Quatrième pouvoir), to refer to the separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
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