The Fourth Estate by Hank Silverberg Freedom of the Press. We take it for granted here in the United States. Our Founding Fathers were wise enough to understand that an unchecked government can easily become an oppressor of free will. We have three branches of government, so the press has often been labeled the "fourth estate" because of its watchdog role in our democracy. The press, and by extension, broadcast news, is the only profession actually protected in the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment strictly forbids Congress, or ANY other branch of government, from censoring the press or restricting it in anyway. That extends to the president, the courts, state legislatures, city hall, local school boards, county governments, or even local planning or zoning boards. So, it was with a great deal of pleasure that I watched President Biden highlight the news media's role in our country when he spoke at the White House Correspondents Association dinner this past weeken