Third Piece of Evidence:

http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?
catid=34&id=38337

MEDIA: THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

A discourse on the "separation of powers" and "checks and balances"
branch of government - the Media - that is not funded by taxpayers'
dollars or provided government offices in the nation's capitol like the
other three branches of government, namely, the Congress, President
and the Supreme Court.

What is the media? In this discourse media is defined as mass

communication or communicating with and for the masses. This is
done mainly by newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the
Internet. A significant part of the "mass media" is what is
commonly referred to as the "news media."
What is the government? Abraham Lincoln described the nature
of the government in the Gettysburg Address in these words,
"government of the people, by the people and for the people." In a
word government is law. Law is basic and may be sublime,
especially when it is based on natural law or derived from the
Higher Law. Law is about relationships and the rights of
individuals...that one person's rights end where another person's
rights begin.
The Federal Government preempts state rights, notwithstanding,
the all too common rhetoric about the pseudo sovereignty of state
rights. However, the Federal Government permits states rights
when that seems to be politically expedient. It does not permit a
state to declare war on a foreign nation. The Federal Government
reserves that right for herself. The Federal Government is

composed of three branches of government. They are mandated

in the U. S. Constitution as Congress which is authorized to make
laws, the Supreme Court which is authorize to interpret or declare
the meaning of laws, and the President who is responsible for
enforcing the laws. These three branches of government are
characterized by "separation of powers" and "checks and
balances" that are designed to prevent any branch of the
government from abusing its powers.
This writer does not intend to give a detail discussion of the
government but rather to show that the media is not less powerful
than the three branches of government and the important role it
plays in a democratic society. The media is people
communicating...with their government. Oftentimes the media
provides the people with information about their government and
the things that the government should be concerned about that
otherwise would not be available to them or their government.
The media is a conduit for people to listen to and communicate
with their governmental officials, inform, praise and criticize them.
As indicated earlier, even though the media is not included in the
U. S . Constitution as a branch of the government, noticeably, the
First Amendment to the Constitution states that "Congress shall
make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
This is to say the media is free, no less than the people. "Who are
the people if not their words?" Pause and think for a moment
about the things that would not be known, the abusers who would
not be brought to justice and the services that would not be
provided for "we the people" if it were not for the media.
While it is true sometimes the media, like the three branches of
government, commit unacceptable acts, and like the branches of
government can be checked by them, it is vital for the health of
society. There are times when the media prevents the three

branches of government from operating singularly or in complicity

to violate the U. S. Constitution and hence betray the trust of the
people they are sworn to represent.
Americans, this is our challenge: support the media. The media
has rights that include her right to access informnation - doings
and misdoings - of the Congress, President, and the Supreme
Court. This includes the right to televise proceedings of the
Supreme Court. Of all governmental entities the highest court in
the land should have nothing to hide and, moreover, be eager to
set an example of esteeming transparency in conducing the
people's business for lower courts and people in general to follow.
Let "we the people" esteem the media, no less than we do the
three branches of government, and demand that she has an
equal standing with them and full access to the information about
their government that people have a right to know. How else will
the people know except the media tells them? How else will
governmental officials hear the people except the media let them
know?
Will you join with me and declare: "The Media is the Fourth
Branch of Government?" Take this step to move "we the people"
toward a more perfect union.
Copyright 2008 by Uriah J. Fields