One Day. No Phone.

Essay - The Fifth Estate

The Fifth Estate

The advent of new communication technologies has facilitated the emergence and subsequent growth of the so-called fifth estate, the activities of which are proving to be of particular significance to the world of Journalism. This essay will explore the impacts which the fifth estate has made on this traditional estate and analyse the extent to which it has benefited and complicated its environment. Despite bearing some similarities to the preceding fourth estate of journalists, the fifth estate holds a position unhindered by the need for qualification, skill or appreciation for the ethical connotations of their work and is therefore able to act in ways which would be deemed unethical by journalistic standards. In terms of government and politics, the fifth estate has, in recent times been approached with a feeling of distaste, a feeling which has frequently risen to outrage as governments struggle to come to terms with and decide how to cope with the incessant campaign for accountability waged by organizations such as Wikileaks. It is this insistent nature, though, which has seen the influence of the fifth estate grow infinitely within the last decade and allowed the public greater access to a diverse and varied range of information, thus revitalising the democratic process.

In recent times, it has become increasingly evident that the “gate-keeper” role of the fourth estate is no longer held by journalists alone but has become as much the role of the fifth estate’s “network of networks”, individuals who are not bound by journalistic qualifications or principles (Dutton, 2009). Bainbridge, Goc and Tynan (2011) define the fifth estate within a journalistic context, stating that it is “the new media technologies, such as the internet, as modes of news delivery...” Expanding on this idea, Dutton (2009) develops this explanation of the fifth estate to position it within a broader social context, offering that the fifth estate is a network of individuals that comprise “a new source of accountability in government, politics, and other sectors.”  In this way, the fifth estate is similar to its predecessor in that its function is largely to hold power accountable.

However, despite this parallel the work of the journalist and the work of the fifth estate are significantly different. One of the most argued points regarding the growth of the fifth estate is that it has “erod[ed] the quality of the public’s information environment” as some Internet users producing online content are “spewing misinformation”, “trivial non-information” and “marginalising high-quality journalistic coverage.” This argument posits that rather than being a phenomenon complimentary to the fourth estate, the activities of the fifth estate are instead a threat to the integrity of the journalist who strives to provide a “realist worldview, an ethical regard for the audience, and good writing” (Windschuttle, 1997). Idealistically, the work of the fourth estate is largely governed by these three principles i.e. objectivity, ethics, and quality, with many countries compiling codes of ethics which rationalise these principles into a set of guidelines. Australian journalists work within the ethical framework of the MEAA (n.d.) code of ethics while Journalists in the UK operate under the principles of NUJ (n.d.) Code of Conduct. The fifth estate operates under no such tangible framework and is therefore able to produce content of any nature, regardless of whether the content is obtained, produced or represented unethically. Furthermore in supporting the view that the fifth estate has weakened the quality of information available to the public, Keen (2008) and Coddington (2013) argue that these sources particularly neglect to observe the journalistic necessity of quality (Dutton, 2009). With Wikileaks as his principal focus, Coddington (2013) states that the "three primary markers distinguish[ing]...[a journalist]'s practices" from those of Wikileaks are the "adding [of] context...[the] filtering [of] information through news judgment; and providing expertise." Wikileaks is primarily concerned with documents and allows the documents it publishes to stand alone as "raw material", largely without the inclusion of any explanatory information (Coddington, 2013). It is this information that journalists are obliged to provide, as they are tasked with the job of presenting information to the public in a way they can comprehend and apply as part of the democratic process. The facts alone are insufficient to provide readers with a rational and understandable source of information and so must be given "certain definable shape" to be effective (Lippmann, 1922). Wikileaks as a body of the fifth estate is not required to provide this additional information, demonstrating that in this particular area, the fifth estate can be seen as comparatively deficient. Therefore, in assessing the claim that the fifth estate “erod[es] the quality of the public’s information” it is evident that this concern is not invalid as this “network of networks” is able to produce work without consideration for ethics or quality. However, this deficiency is not characteristic of the fifth estate as a whole and nor does it override the fact that the activities of the fifth estate can also be supportive of the fourth estate (Dutton, 2009).

Despite the criticisms of some such as Keen (2008) who views all user-generated media as “the cult of the amateur”, the fifth estate cannot simply be defined as a threat to journalism but must also be viewed as a source of great potential benefit. The role of the journalist is to hold power accountable as Thomas Carlyle (1840) acknowledged years ago in recalling Edmund Burke’s statement regarding the fourth estate. Burke claimed that though “there were three states in the parliament…in the reporters’ gallery…sat a fourth estate more important far than they all” for Burke realised the responsibility journalists held in their writing. This task of holding power accountable through informing society about itself is an assignment also undertaken by the fifth estate and is thus supportive of the fourth estates efforts (Harcup, 2009). Wikileaks is a major advocate of government answerability and declares its political ideology is built upon the platform of “transparency, accountability [and] justice.” In 2010, Wikileaks released a series of leaks in the form of a video evidencing US military killing civilians and journalists in Baghdad, as well as thousands of documents detailing the operations of US armed forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. These document leaks served to fulfill Wikileaks’ declared goal to “to bring important news and information to the public” in order to hold those in power accountable for their actions (Wikileaks, n.d). In spite of this self-declared goal, Wikileaks has been criticized as much as it has been praised for its activities by academics such as Fenster (2012) who deemed the organisation reckless in its “vigilante approach to massive document leaks.” These leaks “produced a furor in Washington” and saw businesses and organisations associated with Wikileaks pressured to stop doing business with the organisation. The Chairman of the Homeland Security committee openly called for businesses to cease assisting the Assange led organisation and directly triggered Tableau Software to withdraw its services from Wikileaks. This governmental “outrage” proved that the documents released by Wikileaks totally fulfilled their ultimate purpose: making those in power stand accountable for their actions (Roberts, 2012). Regardless of the radical means by which Wikileaks achieved the result, journalists and the fifth estate share this ultimate goal of accountability and thus can be complimentary to one another.

In terms of the less radical parallels, the fifth estate also presents itself as a space which provides “news that in part compliments, or even helps to sustain, the fourth estate” (Dutton, 2009). The fifth estate offers individuals the opportunity to access information which can help them better understand the writings of the fourth estate by providing context and additional information that in turn constitutes “a related but independent” alternative news source (Dutton, 2009). It ensures that the public has access to a variety of conflicting and consenting opinions and provides the means by which they can engage in the democratic process. As a journalist must always take into account the equality of perspectives provided in their work, this is a matter with which the fifth estate can effectively contribute. It allows for a diverse range of perspectives to be discovered and considered and thus contributes towards a pluralist democracy which exposes the public to “different ways of seeing the world” (Bainbridge et al, 2011).  It is therefore evident that the fifth estate cannot merely be viewed as a danger to the public’s access to quality information, but must also be considered within the context of its benefits to both journalism and society as a whole.  

The growth of new communication technologies such as the internet has given birth to a fifth estate of “networked individuals” who have emerged as both a complimentary and contradictory phenomenon in relation to both journalists and government (Dutton, 2009). Lacking the structure and physical nature of the other estates, the fifth estate occupies a virtual space which is hampered by no necessity for skill, qualification or ethical consideration in obtaining or producing its content. Therefore, the work produced by the fifth estate is often criticised as a threat to the public’s access to quality information and as a danger to the integrity of journalism itself. This danger, however, is more strongly felt in the realm of government as organizations such as Wikileaks strive to achieve “radical transparency” in its campaign for accountability (Roberts, 2012). Despite this, at times, controversial nature of the fifth estate, it is also of great benefit to society as it compliments journalistic material and provides the opportunity for citizens to access a diverse range of perspectives. This complimentary role enables the public to engage with pluralist media and ultimately results in a revitalised democratic process.

Word Count: 1 604

References

Dutton, W. H. (2009) The Fifth Estate Emerging through the Network of Networks. Prometheus, 27(1), 1-15.

Baibridge, J., Goc, N., Tynan, L. (2011) Media And Journalism: New Approaches to Theory and Practice. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Carlyle, T. (1840) Sartor Resartus, and  On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. London: James Fraser.

Coddington, M. (2013) Defending judgment and context in ‘original reporting’: Journalists’ construction of newswork in a networked age. Journalism, 0(0), 1- 18.

Fenster, M. (2012) Disclosure’s Effects: WikiLeaks and Transparency. Iowa Law Review, 97(753),  753-807.

Harcup, T. (2009) Journalism: principles and practice. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Keen, A. (2008) The Cult of the Amateur: How Blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and the Rest of Today's User-generated Media are Destroying Our Economy, Our Culture, and Our Values. New York: Doubleday.

Lippmann, W. (1922) Public Opinion. USA: Harcourt, Brace & Co.

MEAA (n.d.) Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance - Journalists' Code of Ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html.

NUJ (n.d.) NUJ Code of Conduct Retrieved from: http://media.gn.apc.org/nujcode.html.

Roberts, A. (2012) WikiLeaks: the illusion of transparency. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 78(1), 116-133.

Wikileaks. (n.d.) About. Retrieved from: http://wikileaks.org/About.html.

Windschuttle, K. (1997) The Poverty of Media Theory. Ecquid Novi, 18 (l):3-20.

ESSAY TASK 1

TASK: HAVE YOUR ESSAY TOPIC APPROVED AND ENTERED ON YOUR BLOG

• Essay Topic:
My essay will investigate the activities of Wikileaks and explore their role within the context of the Fifth Estate, while also discussing the exact definition and function of the fifth estate. It will address the issue of Wikileaks as an example of journalism or hacking, and ultimately whether their activities are beneficial or damaging to society.

Political Engagement - TASK 2 to TASK 8

WHAT IS YOUR POLITICAL POSITION?
After having a go at the ABC'S Vote Compass in an attempt to gauge my own political position, I found that my political standing was more or less where I expected.

As you can see, I am largely on par with the ALP and the Greens. However, I was surprised on occasion that my personal values translated exactly with the ALP. I was under no illusion that my ideologies would ever line up with those of the LNP (who I find to be ironically named given the fact that they are not particularly liberal by my standards), but I did not realise that my attitudes directly corresponded with those represented in the some of the ALP's policies. In saying that, I am not entirely confident that these findings are completely accurate but I am satisfied in my left-wing position.

TASK 2: RESPOND TO A PROFESSIONAL BLOGGER ON A NEWS WEBSITE.
After trawling some Australian news sites, I was unable to settle on a post in which I felt enough of an investment to comment. Therefore, I did not complete this task.


TASK 3: WHAT IS BARACK OBAMA UP TO TODAY? CAN YOU SEND HIM A MESSAGE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM ON THE INTERNET?
1) Today US President Barack Obama has an official meeting with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania, and President Andris Bērziņš of Latvia.

2) I could send him a message about the importance of internet safety, but I have chosen not to do so. Considering the fact that the President and his administration are currently facing some considerably larger issues such as the escalating conflict in Syria coupled with the UK's refusal of military support, I thought I had better not bother the President's administrative staff with less pressing matters ;)


TASK 4: WHAT WERE/ARE THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS TO CENSOR THE INTERNET (THE SO-CALLED CLEAN FEED)?
In 2007, the Australian Government had proposed a plan to censor the internet in order to create a "Clean Feed" after persistent campaigning from lobbyist groups such as he Australian Catholics Lobby (ACL). The plan involved filtering content through the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by blocking certain sites which would be determined by the government itself. Unlike the plan recently introduced in the UK, internet users would not have the choice of whether or not they wanted to use the "Clean Feed" but would see all internet users subjected to the same feed. However, this original plan was never implemented as a different scheme was adopted whereby the Interpol "worst-of" list of child abuse sites would be the only sites blocked.


TASK 5: WHAT PLACE DOES CENSORSHIP HAVE IN DEMOCRACY?
The issue of censorship and its role in democracy is a delicate issue. Many argue that censorship is a form of repression and denies citizens their civil liberties, however, others view censorship as a means of offering safety, preserving decency and even, by extension, upholding the civilisation.


TASK 6: WHEN WILL THE NBN GET TO YOUR PLACE. WHAT WILL BE THE BENEFITS?
Construction has not yet begun in my area therefore the NBN will not reach my street for some time. In fact, it is not currently on the rollout plan so no specific dates are available. According to the official NBN website, the benefits of the NBN will be increased internet speeds and affordability (NBN Co, 2013).

TASK 7: FIND OUT WHO YOUR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE. SEND ONE A MESSAGE.
1) Local Greens Representative: Petrina Maizey

2) Leading State Greens Representative: Adam Stone

3) Federal Greens Representative: Christine Milne

TASK 8: LOOK UP THE QLD OR AUSTRALIAN HANSARD TO FIND THE LAST TIME YOUR LOCAL MEMBER SPOKE IN PARLIMENT.
I was unable to complete this activity as I could not find any information indicating the last time the local Greens representative spoke in parliament.


TASK 9: LET YOUR LOCAL MEMBER KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THEIR LAST SPEECH.
I was also unable to complete this situation as I did not watch Petrina Maizey's last speech, therefore I can make no comment as to my thoughts on her speech.

Political Engagement - Task 1

Sign an ePetition

I signed a petition which aims to introduce Thankyou Water to Griffith University Campuses in the hopes of supporting the Thankyou organisation in raising funds for the sustainable water projects which they run in developing countries around the world.

 By introducing Thankyou Water to Griffith, students and staff would have the opportunity to contribute to funding projects such as the building of wells, water tanks, bio-sand filters and water pans in developing nations.

Facebook Survey Follow Up

TASK: USE EMAIL, FACEBOOK OR ANY OTHER CHANNEL TO PUBLICISE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE AND GET PEOPLE TO DO IT.

• How many participants did you get? What are your findings?

After publicising my survey on Facebook, I was able to get only four people to participate so unfortunately, my findings were considerably lacking. However, while I am clearly unable to draw any definitive conclusions from this considerably limited response I was able to gather that respondents agreed that one of the main reasons they use Facebook currently is to keep in touch with family and friends overseas. Any further or more significant conclusions, however, could not be drawn.

• Is there something worth pursuing here for your essay?

Due to the small response I received, the data was insufficient for gauging any wider, more significant issues to pursue in my essay. Therefore, nothing struck me as sufficient enough to research further.

• How do your result compare to official surveys about internet use?

As previously stated, unfortunately, my results do not at all compare with official surveys about internet use. The response I received was not significant enough to allow for any comparison with official survey findings.

Facebook Survey!

Greetings all,

If you happen to be reading this and feel like performing a charitable act, then please take the survey below.

It is all about Facebook and the reasons why and how we use it. As we all know, basically everyone has jumped on the Facebook bandwagon, even a lot of those who were initially conscientious objectors, so it has become a very real and very popular means of communication. By taking this survey you will be helping me to discern the ways in which people use Facebook and also the reasons why, so please, do take partake!

Facebook Survey