JOURNALISM: THE FOURTH ARM OF GOVERNMENT

By: Isaac Adeoye

“Thank God for the founding fathers, who set up three separate branches of government. And the media acting as the Fourth Estate” —Andre Carson 

There are three arms of government namely the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. These three arms of government have evolved so that the goals and business of government may be achieved and carried out effectively.

The legislature is the law-making body of the government. It is also responsible for voting on money, approving budgets, and carrying out oversight functions. The legislators are the representative of the people and are generally regarded as the policy maker. The legislature also amends the constitution, controls the executive officials, carry out impeachment and disciplinary actions on public servants. The legislature also approves the appointment of important state officials like ministers and ambassadors. They also approve treaties.

The principal role of the executive arms of government is to carry out the general administration of the country. It is responsible for executing the law of the state. The executive arm of government appears to be the most influential organ. It is the most important organ due to the indispensable role it plays in the life of citizens. It drafts executive bills and submits them to the legislature for deliberation.

The Judiciary arm of government is responsible for interpreting the law made by the legislature to the general public and punishment of offenders. They serve as the custodian of the constitution and safeguard the right and liberties of citizens. They settle disputes between individuals or between an organization.

If one is not informed, such a person will be deformed, you have to be informed before you can be aware of particular issues, that is why journalism has been playing a vital role as the fourth arm of government by informing the public about what they were unable to witness.

Another commendable function of journalism is its INVESTIGATIVE ROLE, let's take for instance, how roadside foods endanger consumers’ life with trans fat in Northern Nigeria with an estimated 854,000 deaths in Nigeria, and 3,229 attributed to trans fatty acids (TFA) -related cardiovascular deaths,ADEOLAA IKULAJOLU visited Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and two of the country’s most populous Northern states – Kaduna and Kano – to examine the consumption of selected roadside foods and investigate their trans fat contents as it affects consumers’ health. Without the informational role of media, death will keep increasing on daily basis, many thanks to journalism.

Therefore, Journalism means the communication of information to the public by any media, be it a newspaper, radio, or television 

According to Robert Niles, Journalism is a form of writing that tells people about things that happened, but that they might not have known about already.

Moreover, Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities.

Furthermore, the fourth branch of government is an unofficial term referring to groups or institutions perceived variously as influencing or acting in the stead of the three branches of government  (legislative, executive, and judicial).

 

In furtherance, the term ‘fourth arm’ is used to emphasize the independence of 'the press, the fourth branch suggests that the press is not independent of the government The concept of the news media or press as a fourth branch stems from a belief that the media's responsibility to inform the populace is essential to the healthy functioning of democracy. 

Douglass Cater, in his 1959 "The Fourth Branch of Government" offered the hypothesis that the press had become "a de facto, quasi-official fourth branch of government" and observed it was the looseness of the American political framework that allowed news media to “insert themselves as another branch of the government”. 

The very relationship the press and the government have is something extraordinarily unique and a distinction in democracies from dictatorships and authoritarian regimes seen around the world. 

While journalism plays various roles in society, perhaps it is most important in how it serves as a bridge of information from the government to the common citizen opening what others are unable to open and seeing what others cannot see.

However, journalism has been bringing vital information to the public since the beginning of the nation in 1776. From local offices to the highest positions in the country, journalists have been there to cover the good, the bad, and even the ugly. To many, journalism is considered to be so significant to the process of acting as the fourth branch of government. 

In many ways, it serves as a balance of power in a democracy. It keeps elected politicians in check and holds them accountable for their actions while in office. It also prevents anyone from gaining too much power, as the press is free to criticize anyone in a governmental role. 

“People often have a difficult time separating what is good and what is not good journalism. Journalism is designed to be both fact-based and opinionated. People must learn how to distinguish between the two,” Nownes said.

More so, Journalists have a responsibility to report the truth about our government and report the facts to the public. This is a role that is upheld by journalists across the country and determines the stability of the credibility and legitimacy of their writings.

All in all, ranging from informing and educating the public to act as a helping hand in the balance of power, journalism is a vital aspect of a democratic society. The media industry will forever play a dynamic role in government as it continues to evolve.