The study investigated the extent to which the media have set the
agenda for the reformation of prison, which has since August 2019 been
renamed “correctional services” in Nigeria, and the corresponding level of
awareness among media audience in South-East Nigeria. Survey and content
analysis were the research methods adopted. For the survey, 240 subjects were
purposively chosen from a cluster of two groups. In contrast, 56 randomly
chosen program schedules of broadcast media and 28 issues of select
newspapers for February 2017 and February 2018 were content-analyzed.
Interviews were also conducted. The study revealed inadequate media
coverage of the reforms and a low level of awareness among respondents. It
recommended, among others, that the World Prisons’ Awareness Day held
annually on February 11 should be popularized to ensure increased awareness
by both the media and their audience.