The agenda-setting hypothesis that the media "cause" people to think about certain topics was tested in interviews with a panel of 69 residents of a small southern Illinois community in July 1975 and April 1976. Respondents were asked what they read in the daily newspaper and what local topics they had talked about recently. In addition, a total of 104 editions of the local newspaper were content-analyzed for both periods. Detailed analyses of relationships among content categories in the newspapers, in reports of content read, and in reports of content discussed during the two time periods are reported. In general, the study supports the assertion that the local newspaper is effective in setting the newspaper reading agenda for respondents over a nine-month period. However, the study does not support the hypothesis that the newspaper is effective in setting the talk agenda on a local level over a nine-month period. (Author/AA)