Editorial: Tools only as good as the craftsman

Initially we were thrilled when a Daily Sun journalist called the JournAIDS helpline for advice on an HIV-related dimension of a story this week. But enthusiasm quickly dissipated when we opened the paper the next day to discover that the information we supplied was not used to offer context or further understanding and the source was misrepresented.

At the HIV & AIDS Media Project we recognise that journalists are not always tapped-in to the world of HIV and that when the need arises to consider an HIV-related dimension of a story, they need specific information, fast. This is why we started a hotline that reporters can turn to for ad hoc support.  We assist with the provision of relevant statistics, suggest additional angles and provide expert contacts for further commentary.

The call from the Daily Sun this week came after the SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) released a report in which they highlighted declining birth rates and increasing death rates. The Institute to an extent attributed the increase in mortalities to the effect of HIV and the decline in births to improved access to family planning.

The journalist wanted to know more about HIV-related mortalities. We responded via email by providing the latest StatsSA data on causes of mortality in which HIV ranked seventh (3.1%) and TB first (12%). We were also careful to emphasise that these statistics were based on death certificates and that HIV-related mortalities are not always recorded as such. We further indicated that due to the high prevalence of HIV and TB co-infection, a large proportion of the mortalities put down to TB were most likely HIV-related.

The mail also included projections on causes of death from the Actuarial Society of South Africa, which estimated HIV-related deaths for 2011 to be in the vicinity of 63,903. Out of the projected total of 599,264 deaths outlined in the SAIRR report for that year, this puts the total number of HIV-related deaths closer to 10%.    

Sadly, rather than integrating this information into the story, the journalist slapped it on to the end of the article in the form of a quote coming from me: “Melissa Meyer, of the HIV and AIDS Media Project, said recorded Aids deaths account for 3% of deaths, while TB is responsible for 12%”.

This sloppy move has caused the journalist to commit two damning no-nos.; 1) the information is not attributed to the correct source; and 2) no attempt at all has been made to integrate the information into a coherent or informative article.

Given the high frequency with which readers of “the people’s paper” raise HIV-related information in the “Speak Up!” section, it can certainly be considered in in the readers’ interest. In this case, despite the accessibility of information, Daily Sun readers were denied an opportunity to understand the very relevant issue of HIV and TB mortality in South Africa.