Abstract
Abstract What is the function of the media in shaping political life? Edmund Burke is said to have characterised the parliamentary reporters’ gallery as a ‘fourth estate’, additional to, and in some respects more important than, the three estates or social groups whose representatives actually constituted parliament. This concept of the ‘fourth estate’ has come to be associated with the idea that the press plays a crucial role in enabling citizens to exercise control over political processes. That is, it has come to be associated with the democratic significance of the press, and with the ideal of an informed and vigilant ‘public sphere’ within which to debate decisions, influence agendas, and scrutinise the action of public officials.
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