Never, within the history of humanity, has one group claimed exclusive dominion over the masses as does the current “Fourth Estate”. The latter term defined as the Press within the medium of television [for nobody, heaven forbid, reads anymore]. Their current influence is, arguably, greater than that of the medieval clerical and noble estates combined.
When the phenomenon of the twenty-four hour news channel first revealed itself, something was lost. That something is the commoner’s ability to think. The cognitive process has undergone restructuring at such a dizzying rate that rational problem-solving abilities have dwindled significantly within the upcoming generation.