Naaaa. The "Press" is the enemy. They are just a little more open about it, these days.
I predict, when CW2 finally comes, the "press" will be among the very 1st casualties.
From Yahoo.
How was the term "fifth column" coined?
Great question! The Fifth Column. The Fourth Estate. The Third Man. All of these phrases can get confusing. According to Britannica.com, a fifth column refers to any clandestine group or faction of subversive agents who attempt to undermine a nation's solidarity.
Who came up with the phrase, and what's with the columns? Emilio Mola Vidal, a Nationalist general during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), originally coined the term. As four of his army columns moved on Madrid, the general referred to his militant supporters within the capital as his "fifth column," intent on undermining the loyalist government from within.
So the fifth column is a group of secret sympathizers or supporters of an enemy that engage in espionage or sabotage within defense lines or national borders.