Journalism as the 4th Estate

Al Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 7

There is discussion from time to time about the future of the Arab press and whether it will disappear from our lives given the diminishing financial returns of publishers. Newspapers and magazines, which were once popular staples in every household, have become ancient relics. Subsequently, advertisers, which once relied on print media to promote their products, cut back on their investment in printed publications. Over time, print media became less and less important — not just commercially but also politically and culturally. The role of the news consumer also changed. In the past, the reader was just that: a passive reader. Today, the reader can also be a writer, a creator, and a commentator. The rise of social media and the advancement of technology changed people’s preferences and attitudes toward news consumption. Readers now prefer immediate, bite-sized news that summarizes key events, as opposed to detailed chronicles and analyses of each and every occurrence. People also cut down on their spending and developed a disdain for spending money on newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Many newspapers began to believe that the mere use of social networks may get them out of this crisis. Some of them launched electronic platforms while others tried to use social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram to reach their audiences. Some even recruited celebrities in the hope of attracting a new and younger readership. But the truth is that this inevitably caused publishers to move away from serious analysis and pursue more yellow journalism. Political and cultural analysis was replaced with strange stories about funny events, clickbait, and cheap gossip. Loyal readers who were committed to the publications they’ve been reading for years were left neglected. From here, the imbalance increased more and the problem deepened because the news media lost its power as the Fourth Estate — that is, its ability to advocate for and frame serious political issues and influential ideas that transform society over time. Indeed, every society needs a “parallel mind”: something that will force us to think out of the box and challenge our assumptions and convictions. Herein lies the real power of journalism, which is based on professionalism, impartiality, objectivity, analysis, investigation, and reliability. When the news media ceases to espouse those traits, it becomes nothing more than tabloid journalism that seeks to please the masses. –Hassan Mustafa (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)