Exclusive: 'The Fourth Estate is dead,' former CIA analyst declares

Im up in the air about free press. Im starting to like the idea of risk, and when you dont do your job you should be punished. More along the lines of government officials, but same idea here.
If you are a press, and you dont provide the information acurately, and or slant it to push an agenda, or manipulate it to favor a side, you should be fined. The media/press gets to bs their way through quarterly reviews and hold onto stories for ratings week.. its all fake. And it breaks my heart. So freedom of press needs to be better defined, I'm sick of hearing news in some distorted game of charades.. dont feel like looking that word up..

enjoy. thanks airspoon

pardon my ignorance, but what is 4th estate? am i missing something? i can't read the source article. could someone explain?