{"id":3008,"date":"2016-06-27T12:05:26","date_gmt":"2016-06-27T11:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.main-vision.com\/richard\/blog\/?p=3008"},"modified":"2016-06-27T12:05:26","modified_gmt":"2016-06-27T11:05:26","slug":"great-britain-fourth-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.main-vision.com\/richard\/blog\/great-britain-fourth-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Britain and the Fourth Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

When I think of Great Britain I think of the BBC and I think of the Natural History Units. I also think of radio programs like In Our Time, From Our Own Correspondent and Hard Talk.\u00c2\u00a0I also think of BBC World and the quality of their news coverage. I mention these current affairs programs because I believe that the British provide quality content. They also inform, educate and entertain us. That is their purpose.<\/p>\n

In a healthy media environment the media should inform and educate their audiences. They should provide us with the facts and context for everything they write about. They should provide us with neutral and unbiased information. Radio and Television broadcasters were held to this standard until recently. With Video on demand services increasing in number and with the number of channels made available through satellite broadcasting and digital audio broadcasting opinion has found its way on air. This made it easier for satellite and television broadcasting to share opinions rather than facts.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think people in this country,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d declared Vote Leave\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Michael Gove, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153have had enough of experts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d His fellow Brexiteers were quick to back him up. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is only one expert that matters,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Labour MP Gisela Stuart, also of Vote Leave, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s you, the voter.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nigel Farage, the leader of Ukip, suggested that many independent experts were actually in the pay of the Government or the EU. All three reminded voters of occasions when \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the so-called experts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d had made mistakes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

source:\u00c2\u00a0Michael Gove\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s guide to Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s greatest enemy… the experts<\/a><\/p>\n

The role of journalists and the Fourth Estate is to understand the questions that people are asking and to understand what information people need. In the case of BREXIT for example if the campaign focuses on Migration then the fourth estate should provide facts and information about migration. It should look at the push and pull factors. It should also look at the goals that the European Union has set itself and how those goals can either help reduce or encourage migration.<\/p>\n

Newspapers and politicians should never say “I think that people in this country have had enough of experts”. The raison d’\u00c3\u00aatre of the Fourth estate, of newspapers, current affairs broadcasts and expert opinions is to provide people with facts\u00c2\u00a0so that when they go to vote they have all the facts.<\/p>\n

BREXIT on one side of the Atlantic, and the rise of Trump on the other, show that the fourth estate has failed. It has failed to keep people informed and grounded in reality and it has failed to keep emotion out of the debate.\u00c2\u00a0The politics of emotion are being exploited and this is having a negative impact on how countries are run.\u00c2\u00a0Alastair Campbell spoke of this<\/a> when live on ABC news Australia.<\/p>\n

To illustrate the challenge faced by modern politicians watch how Obama has to pause and think as he responds to the question.
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