Media Watch
Tag:
FAS awareness rises
The Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) awareness in De Aar and Upington has been so successful that already the number of women consuming alcohol during pregnancy has dropped by 30% in three years.No kidding: HIV and child protection week coverage
It is child protection week and coverage has been characterised by here-and-there reports on baby dumping, child abuse and children facing desperate poverty on a daily basis.
However very few of these reports have investigated how HIV intertwines with issues to create increasingly complex situations.
Two articles that appeared in The New Age (TNA) and the Sowetan both addressed issues facing South Africa’s children that necessitate the inclusion of HIV. But only the TNA article mentioned these problems in relation to how HIV impacts South Africa’s youngsters.
A harmful cocktail: Alcohol and HIV
Over the past few weeks, media coverage has gravitated towards the potential follies of youth. This is unsurprising given that a new year means new beginnings for many young people still struggling to negotiate the dawn of adult independence.
However not all of this coverage has engaged with HIV where it could have.
The New Age and the Daily Sun highlighted HIV as it related to the Kwa-Zulu Natal Health MEC’s efforts at establishing a campaign to educate young women on the dangers of cross-generational sex or ‘sugar daddies’.
But Sunday’s (22 January) City Press featured a full page dedicated to the health risks of alcohol abuse among youngsters which was devoid of any mention of HIV.
Sexual survival left by the wayside
As hoards of fledgling graduates flock to tertiary learning institutions, magazines and newspaper feature sections are dispensing sage advice for “surviving” the transition successfully.
Sadly, this advice appears to be largely limited to coping with unruly room or housemates and balancing social activities (like sports and drama) with academic obligation. Yet the two biggies that can really wreck an education – alcohol and sex – have everyone tight-lipped.
Perhaps editors and journalists are weary of drawing direct associations between aspiring young adults and excessive boozing and fornication. This is no doubt influenced by the notion that doting parents are unlikely to be thrilled by articles that implicate their children in binge drinking and sexual risk-taking.
Not exactly spoilt for Choice™: Government issue condoms scrutinized
The New Age have chosen to highlight striking students’ demand for condoms among a list of other grievances that were laid before the management of Durban’s University of Technology (DUT) during protests that began last week.
This raises questions about the perceptions of government-issue condoms.
Page 1 of 1 pages
