Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Manual
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UNAIDS and the World Health Organization estimate that by the end of the year 2001 nearly 40 million adults and children were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide and that 28.1 million of those people were living in Africa1. For women in Africa, the social, economic, and political impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is profound – 55 percent of adults with HIV/AIDS in Africa are women.
The media can play an important role in raising the public’s awareness about HIV/AIDS by reporting stories that promote prevention of the virus and reduce the stigma associated with those suffering from it. Journalists who understand the public policy implications and the medical facts of HIV/AIDS and who are aware of the myths surrounding the disease will produce better stories. These stories will hold governments and communities accountable for their programs, educate the public about prevention, offer methods for coping with the disease, and discredit stereotypes surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Yet, too often journalists do not have the tools and information necessary to effectively report on HIV/AIDS. According to many African journalists, the media shy away from covering HIV/AIDS because they aren’t adequately prepared to report on it. Instead, they sensationalize the disease and avoid important issues in its treatment and prevention. However, an increasing number of African journalists are seeking seminars, training workshops, and networking opportunities so that they can develop their reporting skills on this complex topic. These journalists stand on the frontlines of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The African Women’s Media Center, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, created this manual as a tool for media professionals to use in improving and increasing their coverage of HIV/AIDS in Africa. AWMC and UNDP support the idea that, in the face of HIV/AIDS, the media have a responsibility to apply the best journalism principles to their work of reporting accurately and completely on the pandemic.
This handbook provides guidelines and tips for reporters interested in successfully covering HIV/AIDS. Most of the advice was taken from experienced journalists from Africa and other regions of the world, who shared their expertise through interviews, publications, and workshops. The guide starts with the basics of good journalism: objectivity, accuracy, and news value. It includes advice for journalists who want their coverage of HIV/AIDS to be responsible and appealing.
Journalists face myriad challenges in covering HIV/AIDS. They must obtain information from relevant institutions. They must accurately interpret technical data. They must travel long distances to uncover new information. They must find fresh, interesting angles for their stories. They must interview political and public-policy leaders. They must engage in frank and often difficult conversations with people living with HIV/AIDS and their relatives. This manual was designed to help journalists find ways to do all these things and to handle obstacles in their reporting paths.
We hope that Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Manual will generate discussion in newsrooms about the media’s coverage of HIV/AIDS and will lead journalists to discover new angles, new perspectives, and new sources for their stories. In that way, we hope it will take a critical step toward strengthening the media’s capacity to play a constructive and valuable role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.