Fourth estate: A free and responsible media is not a luxury – it is essential to democracy says the columnist. — 123rf
IN Malaysia, we often speak of the three pillars of democracy: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. These are also referred to as the three branches of government. Yet therein lies a subtle problem: since all three are part of government machinery, overlaps and influence are inevitable.
Interference, whether overt or covert, is not a myth; it is a lived reality. While the general public may not always perceive it, both the educated and uneducated elites know the unspoken secret: that these pillars, while meant to act as checks and balances, often bend under the weight of political pressure, vested interests, or silent complicity.
It is time we expand this conversation. If democracy is to be meaningful and alive, it requires not three, but four pillars – the fourth being the media.
This four-pillar model, long recognised in countries such as India and other democracies, suggests that the health of a nation depends on the balance and cooperation among these four forces. The legislature makes laws, the executive enforces them, the judiciary interprets them, and the media holds them all accountable. Each must act independently yet responsibly, for without accountability, power decays into arrogance – and democracy rots from within.
A free and responsible media is not a luxury; it is essential to democracy. When Parliament avoids hard questions, enforcement acts selectively, or courts become inaccessible, the media stands as the last defence of truth – the public’s witness and mirror to power.
In any nation where political narratives overshadow public interest, the media’s duty is not to repeat what politicians say, but to question why they say it and what it means for the people. Journa-lism at its best is not stenography; it is a moral duty to the nation.
Yet over time, media can be compromised by ownership and influence. When political or corporate interests shape newsrooms, editorial lines blur, investigations grow timid, and truth becomes negotiable. The result is a public fed with fragments of reality – often distorted or sanitised – and trust steadily erodes.
The collapse of media integrity is not an abstract danger; it has real consequences. When the media fails to question, corruption thrives. When it sensationalises instead of scrutinising, public discourse becomes shallow.
When it becomes a tool of propaganda, citizens become spectators rather than participants in democracy.
In the digital era, the threat has evolved. The traditional gatekeepers of truth – editors, reporters, and credible institutions – are now competing with an army of influencers, bots, and partisan platforms.
Information travels faster, but not necessarily truer. Disinfor-mation, driven by algorithms and outrage, can shape elections, incite division, and manipulate entire populations.
Hence, the need for a responsible and courageous media is greater than ever. The mission of the press must remain paramount: to inform, to educate, and to protect. It must hew to its moral centre – truth.
The media is often called the “fourth estate” because it stands apart from government, yet its influence can be just as powerful. Through investigation, it can expose corruption, highlight injustice, and protect the weak. Through balanced reporting, it can guide public opinion towards reason and unity instead of fear and division.
In Malaysia’s multiethnic and multireligious society, this role carries a moral burden. The media must never be a tool of sectarian or political manipulation. It must uphold justice – not racial justice, not partisan justice, but human justice.
And in a Muslim-majority nation, it is especially shameful that despite the abundance of religious rhetoric in politics and public life, some media still fail their moral duty, allowing lies to be marketed, half-truths to pass as facts, and injustice to be normalised. Truth is not just a journalistic value; it is a divine one.
A just media gives voice to the voiceless and challenges narratives that divide. When floods destroy the homes of the poor, when court decisions test public trust, when policies neglect the marginalised – the media must speak. Silence, in such moments, is betrayal.
We need to ensure a culture of journalism that values integrity over access, truth over popularity, and public interest over profit. Reporters and editors must be empowered and protected. Whistleblowers must not be punished. Citizens, too, must learn to demand better – to reward truth-telling journalism and reject manipulation.
Media education should be part of national literacy. A democracy cannot survive if its people cannot tell fact from fiction, or propaganda from principle. Every citizen must become a conscious consumer of information. As long as apathy reigns, those in power – political or corporate – will continue to shape narratives unchallenged.
The future of Malaysian democracy depends on whether we allow the media to fulfil its sacred duty. We need journalists who dare to question, investigate impartially, and uphold decency in public discourse. Editors must see journalism not as a business, but as a public trust.
The media need not be perfect, only principled – fair, fearless, and factual. When it upholds truth, it becomes an instrument of justice and national protection. Malaysians deserve such a media – not one that echoes power, but one that empowers the people.
Democracy without a free and responsible media is like a body without a conscience: it may move, but it cannot feel. It is time we recognise the media not as a bystander, but as the fourth pillar, vital to justice, truth, and the very soul of our nation.
Senior lawyer Dato Sri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos is the founder and chairman of Yayasan Rapera, an NGO that promotes community-based learning activities and compassionate thinking among Malaysians. The views expressed here are entirely his own.
