Our Shared Shelf discussion

We have been hearing of the marches and rallies over the last few days. Indeed I was a volunteer warden on the London women's march. This has been great success movements like #MeeToo and @TIMESUPNOW have galvanized women and men all over the world.

But what of places where it has not reached. In Iran, for example, there have been women protesting against Economic oppression. a reliable source states that women have been taken off the streets and subjected to methamphetamine (commonly called Crystal Meth) in such doses there have been deaths reported of heart failure. This is happening now.

Now, this has as far as I know gone unreported in the west at least. Now the question becomes is this just because other stories have taken precedences or is there a political motive. In any case, the "Fourth Estate" is failing the people it seems

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Links on Iran Protests
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/06/middlee...

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/06/middlee...

https://www.theatlantic.com/internati...


What's the Fourth Estate?

sorry, should have explained. Fourth Estate is part of the structure of society. There is the church, state (people government) and aristocracy the Fourth Estate (or fourth power) is a segment of society that wields an indirect but significant influence on society even though it is not a formally recognized part of the political system above. These days term is used only to refer to the press or media.

As far as I am informed the media are the fourth structure of power within the modern, democratic state. So when you call the media the "fourth estate" then this is referring to the checks and balances within a political system which is formally or actually democratic.

So when I am informed correctly then the fourth estate / the media are not related to the state, church and aristocracy as Ross claims - but the other three powers are the legislative (parliaments), executive (governments) and judiciary (courts).

Ross seems to refer to the Wikipedia article where they say (when I understand it right) that the word "fourth estate" comes from the feudal system - but in our times the media are the fourth power besides the other three which I have mentioned.

Thanks for the explanation.

Is Iran still something of a dictatorship? If so, does that negate or severely hamper the media's ability to report?

It is, and as far as I know, there will be consequences for people, let alone reporters, who report this kind of stuff, openly.

Pam wrote: "Is Iran still something of a dictatorship? If so, does that negate or severely hamper the media's ability to report?"

As I don't speak persian I need sources in english. And I think the Center for Human Rights in Iran is a good source:

https://www.iranhumanrights.org

There you are informed about the political and human rights situation in Iran. They also publish news about the situation of the media. And yes, I think all of this points to the fact that Iran's political system is still a dictatorhip. Unfortunately. So the democratic protest movement has lots of reasons to fight on.