The Fourth Estate On Trial:
Legal Reforms for Media Accountability in the 21st Century
In an age defined by information warfare, deepfakes, algorithmic manipulation, and politically charged headlines, the once-trusted Fourth Estate—the press—now stands accused. This groundbreaking book puts the media on trial, not as a vendetta, but as a necessary reckoning with power, truth, and public accountability.
The Fourth Estate on Trial challenges the long-standing legal immunities granted to media institutions, exposing the structural failures that allow misinformation, sensationalism, and political manipulation to flourish under the guise of journalism. Drawing from global examples—from Sweden to South Korea, Canada to South Africa—this book critically examines current media complaint systems, highlighting their limitations and the urgent need for standardised, enforceable reforms.
This book makes a bold proposal: a Global Authority for Transparent Informational Justice (GATIJ)—a supranational, United Nations-style body tasked with regulating media fairness and factual integrity across borders. Through legal-philosophical insights, institutional critiques, and a global framework for reform, this book offers a blueprint for restoring public trust in journalism without compromising press freedom.
For legal scholars, media professionals, policy architects, and global citizens alike, this is more than a book—it’s a call to action to redefine the future of truth in the public domain.
Is the Fourth Estate still worthy of the public’s trust? This book asks the question—then demands a new answer.
Publication date : June 9, 2025
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