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Not Asking (lemmy.world)
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[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 140 points 7 months ago

It’s your fucking duty. It’s why you got an ’estate’. You are a necessary facet of democracy but you need to do your part and act like it so you deserve the protections and benefits provided to you for doing so - like benefit of trust and access to politicians.

With few exceptions, you’re failing to be our eyes and ears and mouths and are instead mouthpieces for ownership and interests.

If it was just your job to make money take off the news armour (yeah you Fox) and stand naked in front of us as the liars you are.

Oof sorry. Got ranty there. It’s all getting to be too much.

[-] kakes@sh.itjust.works 30 points 7 months ago

Can you explain the "estate" thing like I'm a 5 year old non-American? (Only one of those is actually true, but I won't say which one)

[-] joby@programming.dev 69 points 7 months ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Estate

Just like within actual government there's supposed to be balance of power between different branches or houses, there's this idea that the role of the press is to hold governments accountable.

(More of an ELI12, but that's the gist of the idea)

[-] kakes@sh.itjust.works 23 points 7 months ago

Sadly, I feel like the whole "separation of powers" thing is under attack in America and elsewhere as power continues to consolidate over time - even where it pertains to branches within government. Traditional media has long been lost in many cases, and even "alternative" media is so flooded with bad actors that it's nearly impossible to get signal through the noise.

Not to get too dour, but if media is in this state now, I hate to think of where it will be once AI starts to gain a real foothold in our political discourse. I assume we'll start to see the effects of this really become evident this years, with American federal elections ramping up.

[-] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 17 points 7 months ago

The author Tim Wu makes a great argument about corporate power consolidation leading to fascism in his book The Curse of Bigness. He states that leading up to WWII, nations promoted the size of their respective national champions, which in turn led to pressure for an authoritative command economy to ensure their continued dominance. It's a great read and dire warning for the world's current state of affairs.

[-] kakes@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

Interesting, I've never considered that factor. I'll have to check it out!

[-] JamesStallion@sh.itjust.works 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

France had 3 estates, The Nobles, The Clergy, and the Everyone Else. Another two got added by political theory people over time. Number 4 is the journalists. Number 5 is the alt journalists.

[-] sbv@sh.itjust.works 9 points 7 months ago

Is there a sixth? And please don't say alt alt journalists, because that would be very disappointing.

[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago
[-] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago

I thought it was dead people like the sense?

[-] JamesStallion@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

Indeed, and this estate makes its will known through representatives called "Estate Agents"

[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Are they even real?

[-] kakes@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

Interesting, I had never heard of this! That explains that show "The Fifth Estate". I'll have to read up on this a bit, seems like useful knowledge.

[-] JamesStallion@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago

We are still undergoing the French Revolution.

[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

You know, I thought I could but on brief search it’s… complicated.

This is the best nugget from Wikipedia that sums up the general notion I’m trying to state that the media has been afforded a role in society - and that they aren’t acting as an independent class.

The modern term the fourth estate invokes medieval three-estate systems, and usually refers to some particular force outside that medieval power structure, most commonly the independent press or the mass media.[3][4]

[-] BangCrash@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

This commertor summarised it well

"France had 3 estates, The Nobles, The Clergy, and the Everyone Else. Another two got added by political theory people over time. Number 4 is the journalists. Number 5 is the alt journalists."

[-] prowess2956@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago

Hey little buddy, it's time for your nap.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

This exactly. Well ranted.

this post was submitted on 11 May 2024
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