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Question Numbers: 64-70
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Edmund Burke called the Press, the Fourth Estate of the realm. I think he did not use this title for the Press thoughtlessly as a social ruling group or class. The Three Estates of Realms (in England) are the Lords Spiritual i.e., the Bishops in the house of Lords, the Temporal i.e., other Lords and Commons i.e., the common people. The Press has been rightly called the Fourth Estate as it also constitutes a ruling group or class like the Lords and Commons. It can not be denied in a free country that the Press exercises a good deal of influence in shaping public opinion and pointing out the weakness or defects of society or of Government and, in general, bringing to light all those good or bad things in society which would have otherwise remained unnoticed. The power is not limited or put under any check. The Press, instead of being controlled by anyone, controls life and thought of a nation. Hence the Press constitutes an Estate by itself.
Obviously, the power which the Press in any country wields, depends upon the number of newspaper readers. The opinions and comments of newspapers can influence the life of a nation only when they are read by people. Reading, in turn, requires that the general mass of people should be educated. Thus the spread of education determines the extent of the newspapers. Where readers are few, newspapers must necessarily be few. Their influence, in the case, can extend only to a small minority of population.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Edmund Burke called the Press, the Fourth Estate of the realm. I think he did not use this title for the Press thoughtlessly as a social ruling group or class. The Three Estates of Realms (in England) are the Lords Spiritual i.e., the Bishops in the house of Lords, the Temporal i.e., other Lords and Commons i.e., the common people. The Press has been rightly called the Fourth Estate as it also constitutes a ruling group or class like the Lords and Commons. It can not be denied in a free country that the Press exercises a good deal of influence in shaping public opinion and pointing out the weakness or defects of society or of Government and, in general, bringing to light all those good or bad things in society which would have otherwise remained unnoticed. The power is not limited or put under any check. The Press, instead of being controlled by anyone, controls life and thought of a nation. Hence the Press constitutes an Estate by itself.
Obviously, the power which the Press in any country wields, depends upon the number of newspaper readers. The opinions and comments of newspapers can influence the life of a nation only when they are read by people. Reading, in turn, requires that the general mass of people should be educated. Thus the spread of education determines the extent of the newspapers. Where readers are few, newspapers must necessarily be few. Their influence, in the case, can extend only to a small minority of population.
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