I celebrate 26 years in the Fourth Power

December first is a day I personally celebrate every year and many might think it could be my wedding anniversary or the birth of one of my lovely three sons but it’s actually a day that is related to how my career started.

December 1, 1991 was my first working day in the print press in the world of news and newspapers. It’s a day I joined a career that turned into a passion that I could never give up and nothing is as enjoyable in life as practicing a job you have passion for because you become both emotionally and mentally dedicated to it.

I fell in love you with from day 1. Journalism. You are the Fourth Estate or Fourth Power and an influential tool that has led to drastic changes in many countries through significantly influencing a society.Even though it is not formally recognized as part of the political system, it today shapes the political system

I will of course share where the term the Fourth power came from after which I will write about how it affected and shaped who I became. When it can change one person’s perceptions and personality, imagine the difference it makes when it affects a whole society.

Many social media activists who label themselves as journalists continue to hit on issues that cause a rift in the society when we have much bigger challenges we are facing in the region.

Hitting on current issues, addressing and spreading awareness on what’s going on around us is what we will need on the long term.

To many writers in the world, journalism unfortunately has also become a business where personal interests come before the overall interest of the country and people.

Back to the source of the Fourth Power.

According to Wikipedia “The term fourth estate derives from traditional European concept of the three estates of the realm: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. The equivalent term fourth power is somewhat uncommon in English but is used in many European languages referring to the separation of powers in government into a legislature, an executive and judiciary.”

In this side of the world we can safely say that this concept applies especially following the reform process that granted the freedom of press leading to an increase in the number of press publications.

The origin of the term The Fourth Power goes back to Edmund Burke , a member of the British House of Commons who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of Great Britain.

Burke in 1787 gave high value to journalists and 230 years later we cannot disagree with Burke that we remained to be the fourth power and will remain to have an unbelievable impact on our societies.

But let’s be very honest here and touch on a very important issue that journalists always debate about. Should any person be labelled as a journalist and should just any person be fully granted the right of freedom of expression. Should we all be granted that right and assure that it will be practiced with responsibility and not cause a rift in the society.

Should we demand the right to say anything just because we are journalists regardless of the consequences it may cause? After all, we are all young democracies and society is influenced by media which makes us more committed to the codes and principles of our duties.

I’m a writer and I believe in the freedom of expression accompanied by self-censoring because that’s how journalists can make positive changes in their societies instead of continuing to cause rifts that only reap harm to any nation.

I’ve been in the field of media tomorrow for 26 years, more than quarter a century and I promise my readers that I will share with you stories that had an impact on me in unbelievable ways.

They were not necessarily world leaders, politicians but the biggest impact that shaped who I became were stories told by people with tears in the eyes, children who were dying and strong and powerful people who could never stop shedding their tears on televised interviews. These are the people that made a difference and changed Bahrain through their most impressive contributions.