Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Manual
How Can the Story of HIV/AIDS in Africa become Newsworthy?

We started hearing about HIV/AIDS more than 20 years ago. It would therefore not be surprising to hear a journalist remark that the HIV/AIDS story has already been told, and that it is not news any more. That would be like saying that politics has already been done so it is not news anymore.

The truth is that HIV/AIDS continues to be newsworthy. Many parts of the HIV/AIDS story have not been covered yet, and there are countless angles that haven't been explored. There are new developments surrounding HIV/AIDS every day, whether in research, prevention and care programs, trends in the epidemic, or how HIV/AIDS is affecting people and societies.

Also, while HIV/AIDS has traditionally been a health story, it is, in fact, much bigger. It is also political, economic, social and cultural. It is local, national and global. It is about individuals, communities, regions, nations and the world.

What Makes a Story Newsworthy?

Looking at what makes a story newsworthy can help us understand the news value of HIV/AIDS. An issue of Population Reports synthesizes the elements that provide the news value in a story.¹⁶ These are immediacy, proximity, consequence, human interest, trends, important people, and conflict and controversy.

Immediacy: Something that has just happened or is currently happening. Just a few obvious examples of immediacy in the HIV/AIDS field include new study findings, such as on the rates and patterns of HIV infection; the launch of new programs, such as those to prevent HIV/AIDS or care for people with HIV/AIDS; the release of a new publication; the ratification of a new convention/plan of action; the development of new policies.

Proximity: An event or issue that is close to the news audience. A story is more appealing if it can be related to the national or local context or events. While an international event may have good news value, it will be much more interesting if the journalist can give it a local angle and show how that event is relevant to the audience. A story on a special session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV/AIDS is much more likely to appeal to the journalist's audience if it shows where her/his country or community comes into the picture. For example, the journalist can report on what new funding commitments made at the General Assembly mean for the country.

In a story released from Tanzania by the Pan African News Agency, the reporter wrote, "The pandemic is eating away at the most important resource of the country, which is its youth… . Mr. Mkapa announced that there are at least 600,000 orphans under the age of 15 who have lost both their parents to this disease… ." At the end of the article, the reporter writes, "From only three declared cases in 1983, AIDS has become the leading cause of death of adults in certain regions of Tanzania."

Consequence: An issue that affects people's lives. An event or issue will make an attractive story if the journalist can show how it has a bearing on the audience, or what the implications are to the audience. For example, the consequences of HIV/AIDS on family structures and relationships, communities, education, or businesses can make for a powerful story. The journalist will be most effective by showing these consequences in ways that are easy for the audience to grasp.

Trends: General tendencies, or the general direction of events. These are dynamic and rich in news value. Epidemiological, economic and social trends testify to how HIV/AIDS is changing people's lives. New data on infection rates or on the population groups that are being most affected by HIV/AIDS have great news value. The feminization of the epidemic illustrates this point. New findings on how HIV/AIDS is affecting people and communities economically make for a great story. It is particularly interesting to discover new findings on trends that challenge old assumptions.

Human-interest: The human face of HIV/AIDS. The statistics, science, economics, and politics of HIV/AIDS need to be illustrated with the people who are affected and to whom the audience can relate. A few examples of people whose experiences can provide an appealing human interest angle are teachers, leaders, advocates, wives and mothers with HIV/AIDS, married couples, children and young adults, individuals working in an industry hard hit by HIV/AIDS, pioneers in the HIV/AIDS prevention and care field, and AIDS orphans.

An article entitled "HIV-positive Florence: The Face of Courage and Hope," by Eunice Mathu of Parents magazine in Kenya (September 2000), is a good example of how a journalist treats a subject with compassion, and how one can put a human face - a positive one - on an HIV/AIDS story.

First, the writer tells the story of Florence and how she became HIV-positive:

"An only child from her mother's first marriage, her mother… sacrificed her for her second marriage. The man would not marry her mother with a child tagging along, so Florence was left in the care of her grandmother. Her mother was to have seven other children from this second marriage, and as a result, Florence was forgotten at her mother's house. Although her grandmother… was a loving and caring woman, she was a domestic worker and only went home over the weekends. Florence was left in the care of her… uncles. The older uncle was cruel and abusive to Florence. Although her grandmother was aware of her son's cruelty to her granddaughter, she could do nothing about it, as she depended on him for financial support.

"At the age of 17, Florence met a boy who became her best friend. He convinced her to have sex with him to prove her love for him. For fear of losing her newfound friend, she started having sex with him regularly… ."

The writer continues with the story, successfully illustrating some of the forces that put women at risk for HIV/AIDS. She then goes on to describe how Florence is now an active member of the national association of people living with AIDS, how "she works with numerous non-governmental organizations on AIDS projects. She is spokesperson for people infected with HIV, comforting them and striving to prevent others, especially young people, from becoming infected."

Important people: "Big names make news."¹⁷ One can always link an HIV/AIDS story to well-known people such as government officials, popular entertainers, sports stars, community leaders, tribal chiefs, and successful business people. These big names can be involved through their work on policy, advocacy, education, funding, economics, or through their personal experiences with HIV/AIDS. Leaders in the HIV/AIDS field can also become big names through media coverage of their leadership, accomplishments, or research.

An editorial in Nigeria's Daily Trust attracted its readers' attention with this: "The convergence of 35 world leaders… to deliberate on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa is a demonstration of the seriousness the problem has assumed." The editorial covered a lot of ground in just a few inches, and wrapped up with, "We also identify with the emergency the summit declared… and hope African leaders will comply with the resolution to set aside 15 percent of their annual budgets for health."

Conflict and controversy: HIV/AIDS involves sexuality, politics, big business, and challenges to cultural norms and traditional practices, among other things. These topics can be controversial, embroiled in conflict and debate - fuel for a good story. But a good news story must also clarify the issues to fully explain the controversy. Covering HIV/AIDS in greater depth and in new ways may in itself create controversy. As long as the journalist is responsible, providing the facts, remaining impartial, treating the subjects fairly, creating controversy is acceptable and even laudable. (Of course, a media outlet may justifiably opt to take a stand on a controversial issue or during a conflict. The place for this is in clearly defined opinion pieces, such as editorials.)

EXTRAORDINARY AND HIDDEN EVENTS There is a useful distinction made between "extraordinary" events and "hidden" events that are newsworthy.18 Extraordinary events become known without the help of the media. The news of these events spreads spontaneously. Examples of such events are wars, political and government changes, and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, or severe droughts. Hidden events remain unknown for a long time - often, too long - without the involvement of the media. Changing trends in the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one broad example of a hidden event.

KNOWING THE AUDIENCE Knowing one's audience is key to developing an appealing story. Typically, not enough effort is put into finding out the interests and needs of the audience. Yet, it is crucial for a journalist to understand the audience to be able to produce a story that will really sell while doing much more than simply entertaining. Here are some things that journalists should find out about their audience: What is the gender mix? What is its general level of literacy and education? What language(s) are spoken and understood? Who are the opinion leaders in this audience? What is its economic status? Is the audience primarily urban or rural? What are the predominant occupations? When do certain segments of the audience tune in to the radio or television? What is its medium of information? How has HIV/AIDS affected the audience? What is the age range? Similarly, journalists often work without knowing how the audience is affected by her or his stories. Inviting audience feedback can help to understand how to develop stories that appeal to the audience and provide useful information. An audience survey is one way to garner audience opinion, although it requires some expertise and resources that may not be readily available. An enterprising journalist or media manager could team up with some graduate students of public health or another social science to conduct such a survey. A more modest approach could involve distributing a simple questionnaire to readers. Journalists and editors can explicitly invite feedback, either through letters to the editor or by inviting listeners to call in to the station. Exercise: Answer the above questions to determine your audience and then develop stories on HIV/AIDS that focus on these demographics. List other ways you can learn more about your audience.