Background:
Traditional conceptions of reading literacy was once centered on printed texts. However, recently, formal education is becoming increasingly influenced by the rise of media consumption, ranging from television and radio to internet usage.

Objective:
This study seeks to determine the association between reading literacy and media consumption in provinces with high illiteracy.

Methodology:
The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive study design using secondary data to analyse the factors affecting reading literacy. A representative sample of 6619 individuals, was extracted from the 2016 demographic health survey, which used a stratified two-stage sample design with a probability proportional to size sampling of primary sampling units at the first stage and systematic sampling of dwelling units at the second stage to select participants. Pearsons Chi-square test of association was used to test for association between reading literacy and media consumption, a p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. STATA version 16.1 (StataCorp, LLC, College Station TX, USA) was used for analysis.

Results:
The study results show that 5714 (86.33%) of the participants demonstrated reading proficiency. Additionally, all measured participant variables were highly correlated with reading literacy, specifically media consumption. Among participants who reported listening to the radio, 4216 (90.26%) were reading proficient. Similarly, 4660 (90.29%) participants who engaged in watching television were literate. Notably, internet usage was associated with high literacy rate, with 2229 (98.72%) demonstrating reading ability. The results suggest that media consumption is strongly linked to higher reading literacy levels, particularly among internet users who demonstrated the highest literacy rate. This implies that access to and engagement with media, especially digital platforms, can play a significant role in supporting literacy development. These findings highlight the potential of integration of media-based strategies into literacy interventions, particularly in provinces with high illiteracy rates. Moreover, the results further underpin the importance of addressing the media inequalities to ensure equitable access to media resources that can enhance educational outcomes.

Conclusion:
This study highlights the critical role media consumption plays in shaping reading literacy outcomes, particularly in provinces with high illiteracy rates. The results reveal interesting trends, that is, individuals who engage with media consumption especially digital platforms are more likely to demonstrate high reading proficiency. This finding highlights not only the transformative potential of media as an educational tool but also underpin the need to bridge gaps in media access, especially in rural communities. By using media platforms strategically and ensuring equitable access, educational policymakers and instructors can unlock new pathways to reading literacy, fostering a more informed, empowered, and connected society.

Keywords: Media consumption, reading literacy, internet usage, access to information.