Introduction: The Fifth Estate or The Fifth Column?

Many people assert that mainstream Media is the Fourth Estate and that any media that does not fit into the mainstream is, therefore, The Fifth Estate. Others suggest that it is the ever increasing ranks of the punditry that actually make up the Fifth Estate, while others would argue that The Fifth Estate is composed of citizen journalists and bloggers.

As a guy who spent more than 20 years working in The Fourth Estate and who now appears regularly on TV, Radio and in Print as “the expert in blah blah blah” to speak about some issue or another, I’m feeling a bit of Estate confusion.

And that’s because it’s quite possible that we’re using the wrong terminology.

Sharing whatever Branding and Advertising knowledge I might have with the general public may be far less about being a member of an Estate than it is a Column – The Fifth Column to be exact.

Yes. I realize that the term “Fifth Column” is a bit of a pejorative. But how else would you describe someone who talks regularly about the tactics his industry is using AND he talks about them to the people his industry is using those tactics against.

“Thom,” the host of this program or that says, “How do you think this particular campaign will work.”

“Well,” I answer, “this campaign is going to have a very emotional impact on three-legged people with purple hair. This company has obviously infiltrated this particular community with spies, also known as public opinion research teams, and is now regurgitating the messages that three-legged, purple-haired people want to hear. I’m sure this will be highly successful. In fact, if I were the guy running this campaign, and I really wanted to get three-legged, purple-haired to give me all their money, I would… ”

So if there are any three-legged, purple-haired people out there, watch out!
Here’s how they’re going to get you to buy their product.

On the other hand, if there are any business owners who are trying to sell wares to three-legged, purple-haired people… well then… you’ll definitely want to stay tuned to this site.