Media, Activism and HIV/AIDS

This section of the fourth edition of the Gender and Media Diversity Journal, published by the Gender and Media Diversity Centre, explores various aspects of media activism and HIV/AIDS including: the use of appropriate language in media when reporting on HIV/AIDS; several press and education-entertainment campaigns; advocacy for media reporting on migrants; and the roles of a number of Southern Africa organisations focusing on media and HIV/AIDS.


It contains the following articles:

Debating HIV/AIDS Language: Talking about HIV/AIDS by Mia Malan

This article discusses how AIDS interest groups work to combat stigmatisation by putting pressure on journalists to use certain terms when writing or speaking of HIV, and to avoid others. In doing so, the author notes that "they exercise great and unprecedented influence over the media, and...influence the way that members of the public talk about the epidemic." The article contains a diversity of opinion on the pressure to use certain terminology and a summary of preferred terminology.

Everyone Knows Someone: A Sunday Times Campaign by Susan Smuts

This article describes the Everyone Knows Someone campaign launched in April 2006, which invites readers to share their stories about someone affected by HIV/AIDS. It has become a popular and ongoing news feature, as stated here, enhanced by Gender Links (GL) participation, with stories on how HIV affects children. The article concludes that the voice of children has been scarce in the campaign and needs a greater presence.

Making Dreams Come True by Karolina Pieters

The author describes her work with abandoned children, many affected by HIV/AIDS. Along with the home she founded in southern Namibia, she created a cultural group, "Ama Buruxa", which includes a performing group. She describes the results of an opportunity to bring them to Johannesburg to perform and see performances.

In Practice: Coração Aberto

"Published by IRIN PlusNews, this online and print publication is a collection of first-person stories from women living with HIV. The original idea behind the initiative was to portray women from Portuguese-speaking Africa who are managing to live with HIV, in spite of associated hardship and prejudice. Now, the collection has expanded to include men. What began as an online project has now also expanded to include a quarterly publication, with attractive design and photos."

Tsha Tsha: Entertainment-Education Series: Challenges Masculinity Among HIV-positive Men in Soweto by Frederick Oduor Ogenga

From the abstract: "This article is an excerpt from a study that aimed to examine the production of HIV/AIDS lessons on Tsha Tsha Entertainment- Education (E-E) and their reception by HIV-positive men in Soweto, and to find out whether this response affected their perception of their roles and responsibilities in HIV/AIDS. The rationale behind this study was that gender and HIV/AIDS has been critical in interventions aimed at combating the disease. The findings revealed that audiences (HIV-positive men) identified with lessons around HIV-testing, disclosure, support and those that challenge stigma and masculinity in HIV/AIDS. Disclosure emerged as a major theme compared with sub themes of testing, stigma, masculinity and social support to form categories that were presented as the findings."

Confronting HIV Stigma in African Communities in the United Kingdom Through Media by Lucy Stackpool-Moore

This article reports on a project on media-related HIV stigma among African migrants to the United Kingdom. The focus of the publication Start the Press is to draw on content analysis of UK media to recommend journalistic changes to de-stigmatise the disease and de-link it from the African migrant population. "A combination of what is covered in the UK press and what is left out contributes to perceptions that coverage is stigmatising." Supported by a case study, the article argues for a media role that includes:

• providing accurate information that facilitates access to appropriate health services;
• giving voice to people living with or affected by HIV;
• breaking the silence around issues that can be difficult to talk about – such as sex, sexuality and drug use;
• providing a platform for public debate that draws on a variety of perspectives; and
• influencing policy agendas and framing policy debates.

In Practice: PHELA Health and Development Communication

From the article: "Phela is a Health and Development Communication organisation that uses the power of the mass media (radio, TV and print) to disseminate information in order to effect social and behaviour change. They aim to provide reliable, helpful and accurate information on HIV and AIDS, as well as other health and development related issues ...relevant for Lesotho. Phela’s programmes are research-based and always go through pre-testing by both stakeholders and audiences before they are actually distributed and broadcast." The article lists Phela’s programmes and how to contact the organisation.

HIV & Media: Examples of Practice By Cindy Dzanya

This article explains the roles of various African media organisations in relation to their work on HIV/AIDS. They include: the African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP); African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet) - Africa HIV/AIDS and the Media Project (South Africa); Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria; and Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS).