The press is assigned a prominent position in the state, but also in society. This position corresponds to the specific protection of fundamental rights that the press has received under Article 5 (1) of the Basic Law, which includes both its own right of defense against state intervention and the state's institutional guarantee of a free press.

Section 3 of the Thuringian Press Act (TPG) contains a provision on the public function of the press. In this way, the state legislature has also acknowledged the special constitutional mission of the press. The provisions of the TPG mention the essential functions and activities of the press through which it fulfills its public task.