Journalists, particularly those covering politics, are often referred to as the 'fourth estate'.
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The term was arguably first used by Edmund Burke, a British politician in 1821, although there are others including Lord Brougham and William Hazlitt to whom the origin is also attributed.
Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish writer, historian, and philosopher in Heroes and Hero-Worship in History, wrote:
"Burke said that there were three estates in parliament, but in the reporters' gallery yonder, there sat a fourth estate more important far than them all."
Burke was conveying the importance of the the role journalists play in the game of political influence.
That they are encouraged to tell the story rather than be the main character, yet sometimes that is not always the case in political machinations.
In the Bruce Lehrmann matter recently before Federal Court of Australia Judge Michael Lee, celebrity journalist Lisa Wilkinson was accused of defamation.
Defamation is damaging someone's reputation through communication and can be redressed or restored by the courts.
In reporting the rape of Brittany Higgins, Wilkinson, a former magazine editor and Today Show presenter, was said to have defamed Lehrmann in an interview with Higgins on Channel Ten's The Project.
Wilkinson and The Project won a Silver Logie for the piece, however Justice Lee found time to criticise her acceptance speech and the legal view delivered by Channel 10 lawyers who condoned the content of the prepared speech, which supported and praised Higgins.
Journalists, at times, walk a tightrope to deliver stories that they defiantly believe are in the public interest.
It gives them notoriety for their courage, but it is also fraught with danger.
Lisa Wilkinson is as high profile as any matter she covers.
A recent case study by the University of Texas found:
"Indeed, readers may be reluctant to read an article from an outspoken journalist for fear of distortion of facts; the worry is that their taking of sides might compromise the reporting of unvarnished truth."
The Washington Post took this concern further instructing journalists to, "avoid active involvement in any partisan causes - politics, community affairs, social action, demonstrations - that could compromise or seem to compromise our ability to report and edit fairly."
I still have occasion to visit Canberra, nowadays on advocacy and lobbying visits, which I kind of enjoy but not really.
Canberra can be stale and cold, and while the new parliament is striking in appearance and size, it does not hold the same charm that the old Parliament House exudes.
The architecture, rose gardens, arbours, and tennis courts of the old space are stunning, and it is easy to imagine prime ministers of yesteryear taking a stroll to contemplate a difficult decision!
By contrast, contemplation in the new parliament house would occur behind closed doors, hidden from the media, and locked away from passersby.
The public cafes of parliament house are frenetic with politicians, staffers, the media, lobbyists, and tourists congregating to sort their fix of caffeine in what is already a highly charged environment.
There are the famous; the well-known to us who are the elected faces of the House of Representatives and the Senate, busying themselves with meetings and parliamentary timetables, which require them to take their seat in the chamber to debate, listen, simply be present, or retort with witty one-liners.
There are former federal ministers who now perform chair or lobbying roles, including the the highly respected Greg Combet.
And then there is the fourth estate.
They are as well-known as the politicians themselves.
Traditional media mastheads, which now utilise a more modern forms of communication including a significant social media presence to increase awareness of their work and to spread the word, has made them so.
The Financial Review's political editor Phillip Coorey is one such fourth estate figure.
He commanded a table in the cafe with other lesser-known journalists alongside as he held court.
You know scribes who are considered important when politicians and advisers make a point of going out of their way to say hello.
The bespectacled journalist with balding yet jet black hair is a two-time winner of the Paul Lyneham Award for Canberra press gallery excellence in 2012 and 2013.
A regular panellist on ABC's Insiders, Coorey's fame has continued to grow with his opinions now expressed far beyond his weekly columns and articles.
Most who are in the parliament house cafe or walking past to their next appointment notice Coorey.
It is odd in a way because he is not the decision-maker, rather he is supposed to report on the decisions, but there is more to the interactions between journalists and politicians than meets the eye.
Journalists need politicians and politicians need journalists.
Journalists, so they can compile stories and meet deadlines, and politicians so they can convey their message, maintain relevance, and increase popularity - it's one unique set of circumstances.
It's difficult to arrive at a balanced judgement whether the fourth estate helped Brittany Higgins.
All we can hope for is that the articulate words of Judge Michael Lee, who resolved that on the balance of probabilities she was telling the truth, provided some level of redress.
