(GMU Forensics / Fourth Estate)

Keep reading, and we’ll keep writing

BY EMMA G. SCHAIBLE, NEWS EDITOR

Dear Reader, 

My name is Emma, and I am ecstatic to return as the news editor for Fourth Estate for the fall 2026 semester! I am a junior hailing from New Jersey, double majoring in Government and Communication with a concentration in Political Communication. 

When I’m not in the newsroom, you can find me waiting in line for coffee, traveling with the GMU Forensics Team or reading (for fun). 

I’m starting my fifth semester with Fourth Estate, and after holding many positions I have learned that the most valuable part of student journalism is making students aware of the issues that affect them. These last two semesters as news editor have taught me so much about what the Mason student body wants to see from the university, the community and its student newspaper. 

As the university continues to grow and adapt to the world around us, Fourth Estate will cover it all. 

Whenever I try to coax someone new into writing for us, their first question is “Why is it called Fourth Estate?” and the explanation is why I love journalism. 

The phrase comes from mid-18th-century England, when statesman Edmund Burke said that while there were three official estates in Parliament, the “Fourth Estate,” or reporters’ gallery, was more important than all of them, because they are the ones who inform the public. 

“Fourth estate” was then quickly popularized by the Founding Fathers in the United States, who added freedom of the press to the First Amendment to create an additional check on government power. 

While the phrase is not popularly used today, I love that our paper pays homage to the original watchdogs of government, and I think we continue that fight. But to me, Fourth Estate is more than a phrase, a check on power or even a newspaper; it is the opportunity to learn and experience everything Mason has to offer. 

While I miss all of the amazing editors I have gotten to work with in the past, I know Fourth Estate has a bright future ahead; all I ask from you is to keep reading.  

The news section is always looking for writers with an interest in on-the-ground reporting, investigative journalism, and following a beat. Regardless of major or experience, the news section of Fourth Estate can be the place for you. 

Stay informed, 

Emma G. Schaible, News Editor 

eschaib@gmu.edu