Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the media provide and systematically organize learning experiences for members of the public. It also aimed at assessing the extent to which members of a given audience rely on the media for formal and informal learning. The sample consisted of 200 subjects (undergraduates and workers of junior status) drawn from Abia State University, Uturu, and Federal University of Technology, Owerri . A twelve-item interview questionnaire was administered to the subjects for three days. Before then, content-analysis was done on articles related to health, cooking, arts and entertainment, and literature which had been extracted from three national dailies - The Guardian, Daily Times and National Concord. Results were analysed using percentage scores and product-moment correlation. The study concluded that the media had didactic and pedagogic effects on their consumers, thus pointing to an agenda-setting function. Implications of the findings for media functioning were noted.
