Matt Rourke—AP/

The fourth estate is a term commonly applied to the public press. In medieval times, three traditional estates, or classes, were recognized: the nobility, the clergy, and the townspeople. Each group wielded specific powers and held a separate voice in government. In pre-Revolutionary France, for example, the three estates met as the Estates-General. The press began to be accepted as the fourth estate in the mid-19th century out of respect for the group’s ability to monitor politicians and the political process.