The press: Democracy’s watchdog

Hannah-Kate McFadden, Contributing Writer

The “Fourth Estate” was a term coined for the media in the late 1700s by Edmund Burke. It characterizes the press as an unofficial fourth branch of government that checks the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The media acts as an independent spectator that exposes corruption amongst elected officials, keeps the public informed and serves as a platform for public debate on substantial issues.

On Sept. 18, President Donald Trump announced he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The ban was officially enforced on Saturday when Secret Service agents rescinded the press passes and deactivated the badges of reporters trying to enter the White House. In response, the three news outlets filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump Administration on Sept. 21.

This is not a new endeavor for Trump. In 2018, he suspended CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, from the press pool. Earlier this year, the Trump administration banned the news outlet Associated Press (AP) from the press pool and from attending East Wing events. In both cases, the courts sided with the press.

In the 1977 U.S. Court of Appeals ruling Sherill v. Knight, the opinion stated that reporters cannot be barred from the White House without due process, not because they report unflattering opinions about the administration and not because Trump claims they are “fake news.” Backed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants Americans the right to freedom of speech and a free press, the presidential administration must have a legitimate cause to bar a reporter from the White House.

In the world today, there are 60 countries that are classified as authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian countries are characterized by their highly centralized power and suppression of civil liberties. When a country goes through the process of becoming an authoritarian regime, called democratic backsliding, one of the first things that country experiences is a restriction of the press. Right now, it may seem trivial or like a stunt that the Trump administration is promoting; however, the press is vital to the survival of our government. 

The media’s role in American society is to serve as a watchdog for democracy. A guardian angel, if you will. If we do not return the favor and protect this precious right, there may be no democracy left to guard.