Circulation is another major division of the business office and is usually headed by a major executive, the circulation manager, since the newspaper ultimately stands or falls on the basis of the number of steady readers that can be enrolled.
The circulation manager may have any or all of the following subdivisions under his supervision:
(i) City Circulation:
It involves the maintenance of circulation records for the city of publication; the recruitment, supervision and reimbursement of carrier boys; the: supervision of district men who oversee circulation by subdivisions of the city, taking responsibility for moving papers to the news-stands, relations with news-stand operators, etc.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(ii) Area Circulation:
Responsibilities here include getting papers destined for the surrounding area into the mail and operation of a fleet of tempos/taxis to carry the papers into surrounding areas where mail service is not rapid enough.
The circulation manager is also in charge of moving the papers into the appropriate distribution channels as they move into the mailing room from the press room.
(iii) Sales Promotion:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
It involves the direction of an office staff to keep records, notifying subscribers when their subscriptions need renewing, the handling of complaints, new subscriptions and renewals over the counter, by mail, etc.
Promotion is essentially the “public relations” department of the newspaper. Where a separate promotion department exists, it usually is responsible for initiating promotion policies, subject to the approval of the publisher, and usually coordinates the promotional activities of other departments.