The fourth estate is supposed to be the impartial, disinterested observer of the other three estates--the clergy, the politicians, and the commoners, but for our purposes, the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the government. The fourth estate has the responsibility of accurate reporting on the doings of the other estates in order to keep the members of the other estates honest in the literal and the figurative sense. Otherwise, the members of the first three estates are sorely tempted to resort to dishonest means to achieve their goals, which more often than not are to gain and maintain power and wealth.
The shameful display put on by Chuck Todd, alleged member of the fourth estate, in the first two Democratic debates was not considered remarkable, except by members of the fifth estate here on this site, as well as countless other fifth estate commentators who ridiculed his performance, as well they should have. Instead of staying in the background, talking on camera only when necessary to cue up questions, he obnoxiously inserted himself into the debate, and ended up speaking on camera more than most of the Democratic nominees who were there to debate. Why? Maybe he was directed to; maybe he believes he’s a celebrity that deserves camera time; but one thing was clear--he was determined to get one or more of the candidates on stage to say that if he or she were elected president, guns would be confiscated. It was such an obvious ploy that no one fell for it, but that didn’t stop him from trying for the length of the debate.
To hog the camera and try to goad members of another estate into political mistakes is not supposed to be the social/political role members of the fourth estate. It seems that in this age, the role of disinterested, impartial observer providing accurate reporting on the other three estates in order to keep them all honest has degenerated into keeping the commoners entertained and placated while members of the other estates engage in all manner of criminal, immoral, unethical behavior, all of which either goes unreported or is framed in such a way as to excuse it. If the members of the fourth estate are totally compromised and collude with the other estates, are they even an estate anymore? Rather than an estate, they seem to be a business model.