HIV & AIDS in the media

HIV &AIDS in the media Lilian Chigona Panos Southern Africa

Panos Institute Southern Africa • Part of a global network of 8 Panos institutes • Agenda-Amplifying marginalised voices • Articulating voices of most affected • How? Communication ie media work, assessments, in depth studies • Belief- The media have potential to contribute to reducing the rates of HIV infection, the levels of stigma and advocate for favourable conditions for plwh.

Continued Need for Information • Radio and television, newspapers are cited by many people as key sources for information about HIV & AIDS • Journalists can contribute a great deal to effective communication for change of attitudes, behaviour, policy, practice etc • Panos has worked on media capacity building for years

JLWH-The concept • Why JLWH? The media left out, Mildred story • JLWH contribution to AIDS Response:-There are challenges with the way the media have reported on HIV and AIDS: • Sensationalism • Lack of depth • Human interest • AIDS fatigue • Engaging JLWH can significantly solve the problem

HIV and the Media • HIV and AIDS affect the media externally and professionally • The target clients • News and feature stories carried • HIV and AIDS affect the media internally and personally • Infected media personnel • Affected media personnel • Who cares for these? • Journalists need to put on their own mask first

Personal Impacts • Anxiety, self-stigma, external stigma • Fear-unknown fear preventing people from accessing services • Fear of dialogue in the newsroom • Fear of general public

The Disabling Fear of how Others Might React • ‘I remember sitting in the news room and hearing my colleagues talk negatively about HIV and AIDS……the whole time, I thought “no, I cant tell them” The more I kept it to myself, the more it ate me up inside’ • I do remember the silent tears falling down my face and the feeling of fear. -JLWH from Zimbabwe • The fear was not that I might die but the fear of ‘what if’ people found out. ‘What if’ my colleagues find out? what will my friends say? My family? ‘What if’ I lose weight – how will I explain it to people? ‘What if’ someone recognizes me at the HIV clinic? ‘What if’ they find out at work?

Setting up of the Network of JLWH • Lusaka Meeting • Country level mobilisation • Progress in countries like Malawi, Zim, Zambia • Support from HIVOS-experience in Swaziland

Potential Impact of JLWH • Improving service uptake among fellow journalists and general population • Improving quality of reporting on HIV and AIDS-use of proper/acceptable language, human interest, sensitivity, etc • Reducing HIV and AIDS-related stigma

What journalists Need • Understand the epidemic • Know and deal with the drivers-for journos, for the general public • Fight stigma and discrimination • Champion the concerns of vulnerable groups • Keep issues on top of agenda – work against AIDS fatigue and complacency • Feature marginalized groups – disabled, prisoners, elderly, MSM, CSW, children who are HIV positive

The PSAf’s Mildred Mpundu Fund • Supports community media in Zambia to develop workplace policies and programmes • ensures access totreatment, services and referral for those who are affectedand/or infected • addresses stigmaand discrimination • Ensure that HIV and AIDS programme are sensitive and more indepth

Journalists need a Workplace Policy Most workplaces have a policy however; • The environment is not favourable for service uptake • Stigma is still very high in newsrooms • JLWH join the crowd by using stigmatising statements so that they do not raise attention • Journalists end up accessing services when it is too late

Conclusion • Concern with HIV and AIDS will make one a better journalist who uses appropriate language and reports from a personal interest angle • ‘Liberation of our media from fear of HIV and AIDS will automatically liberate others’ Prof. MJ Kelly

HIV & AIDS in the media