The fourth estate is an essential component of our system of governance. This really is without debate as you couldn&#x27;t possibly have a system of democracy without a way to inform the voting public as to who is running and what promises they are making.<p>The problem with your line of thinking is that you&#x27;re trying to say that the news media is just like anything else that is competing for resources and attention. You&#x27;re only describing the world through private interests.<p>With your critique you&#x27;re placing &quot;journalism&quot; in an interchangeable roll with &quot;Call of Duty&quot;, cynically denying its public roll in our society.<p>We absolutely need to address the broader societal changes brought about by technological changes. An economic approach is not enough. Our systems of law and order are incredibly complex. Governance is an ever evolving call-and-response that attempts to balance individual rights with the needs of the greater good.<p>We need to hold ourselves and the rest of the citizens of the world to these high standards, as our forebears have done for generations, or we may lose the wondrous liberties they fought so hard to maintain.