Some of the main functions of mass media are to provide the general public with news, help people socialize by getting them accustomed with a country's customs, including its politics, culture and forms of entertainment, allowing political leaders to have a public forum to share their ideas and to hold other journalists and public leaders accountable for their actions. Another function is to change the opinions that people have through the use of polls and reporting.
There are several types of reporting seen in mass media, including yellow journalism, objective reporting and interpretative reporting. Yellow journalism uses sensationalism to shape the opinion of the public, while objective reporting instead focuses on giving the people the facts as they are. Interpretative reporting, on the other hand, focuses on the analysis and interpretation of the facts rather than just the facts presented alone.
