Most Important Functions that are currently performed by a Press are as follows:
In the past, the mainly concentrated on two important functions, that is information and influence. But now-a-days, it performs four major functions. In addition to the above two functions the press now also performs the functions of entertainment and paid advertising.
1. Information:
This function includes all reports, news and happenings concerning the daily life. It does not include any information involving or concerning the pursuit of leisure. But it does cover all news, regarding government, politics, foreign affairs, weather, accident, business, labour, education etc.
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This function consists of most of the matter which is given in news-broadcast on the radio and television as well as the news-columns of the newspapers and magazines. It does not include information regarding sports, hobby columns, theatre reviews, films, short stories etc.
2. Influence:
It means influencing the opinion of the readers through editorials, articles, or certain special features. It also includes editorials, cartoons and comments made on the news and events by the journalists or the editors.
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But it does not include the slanted news or any other forms of indirect influence, accidental or otherwise. In this, we should include only attempts which are made directly to influence the readers and listeners. It also excludes the space which is sold to the advertisers.
3. Entertainment:
The other important function of the press is entertainment of the readers. Under this function all types of fiction like comic strips, stories etc. can be included. It also includes the factual material, sports news, theatre reviews and hobby columns which deal with leisure.
The entertainment function of the press is very important. This function not only competes for space and time with other functions, but it can also exert indirect influence and impart information incidentally.
4. Advertising:
This function of the press can very easily be recognised, because it is commercially oriented. Sometimes, the advertisements also have public service messages under the prestigious advertisements regarding family planning, driving safely, child care, healthcare etc. The commercially oriented advertising seeks to promote the sale of their goods.
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Generally, people have to depend upon the press for the major share of their total news information, because even television newscasts cannot carry that much bulk, nor could the television viewers assimilate it, if they did.
Of course, information can be written and edited in such a slanted fashion that it exerts more influence than the printed editorial. Entertainment is the most important function of journalism, because it is like magnet which attracts and holds large audiences.
It plays a vital role in selling newspapers and magazines by the millions. The sports pages, comic strips, astrology columns, advice to the lovelorn and crosswords are essential to the average newspaper’s survival as a mass media.
The entertainment function’s greatest threat to good journalism is its competition against information and influence for media space and time and consumer attention.
Addition of an extra page of comic strips may add to circulation and accompanying advertising revenues, thus enabling the newspaper to add editorial material, or it may simply, out a few columns of news and commentary.
Similarly, a second lovelorn column not only steals space from significant offerings, but also tempts more readers away from the remaining substance.
There is no doubt that information and influence play a very important role in the success of the largest general interest magazines.
For example, much space of Reader’s Digest is devoted to articles arid opinion pieces, about government, foreign affairs, currently morality issues, and education.
Advertising also plays a very important role in the success of running a mass media. Advertising provides the largest part of the revenue to finance the most elaborate technically sophisticated press system. In fact, all sorts of daily newspapers, magazines, publications depend on advertising revenue.
Advertising also supplies essential marketing information to the public and helps inform the businessmen of changes within their fields.