- Fifth Estate
Fifth Estate is any class or group in society other than the
clergy (First Estate ), thenobility (Second Estate ), thecommoners (Third Estate ), and thepress (Fourth Estate ). [Random House Dictionary] It has been used to describe trade unions, the poor and organized crime. It can also be used to describe media that sees itself in opposition to mainstream (Fourth Estate) media. The term is different in origins and meaning from "Fifth Column ," used to describe subversive or insurgent elements in a society.Nimmo and Combs assert that political pundits constitute a Fifth Estate. [cite book|title=The Political Pundits|author=Dan D. Nimmo and James E. Combs|pages=20|date=1992|publisher=Praeger/Greenwood|isbn=0275935450] Media researcher Stephen D. Cooper argues that
blogger s are the Fifth Estate. [cite book|title=Watching the Watchdog: Bloggers as the Fifth Estate|author=Stephen D Cooper|date=2006|publisher=Marquette Books|isbn=0922993475] The American periodical "Broadcasting" once proudly proclaimed itself to be "The Fifth Estate" on its cover. [cite book|title=A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet|author=Asa Briggs and Peter Burke|pages=154|date=2005|publisher=Polity|isbn=0745635113] "The Michigan Daily" published a letter to the editor by Michael Kozlowski arguing that the concept behind the CNN YouTube presidential debates should be expanded to allow citizens to directly challenge the President and other elected officials on national cable news networks such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. [ [http://media.www.michigandaily.com/content/letters-editor-454 "Bring 'YouTube' democracy to the air"] ]"The Fifth Estate" newspaper began in 1965 as an alternative bi-weekly publication of left-wing politics and the arts in Detroit, Michigan, as part of the so-called Underground Press movement of oppositional papers. It continues publishing today with editorial collectives in Detroit, Liberty, Tennessee, New York City, and Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Its usage of the term was the first in the modern era and the editors have attempted to discourage other media outlets from adopting the name, but to no avail.
Fifth Estate (periodical) .The
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation airs a newsmagazine called "the fifth estate " on its English language television network. The name was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into original journalism.References
External links
* http://www.fifthestate.org
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