Media Watch
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HIV terminology: Say it right
The New Age (TNA) continues to willingly and refreshingly engage with HIV through regular stories and reports. But using the correct terminology to write about the subject accurately and sensitively is equally important as having HIV feature in the news regularly.
On Monday (6 February 2012) TNA published a story on the plight of children orphaned by AIDS in the Eastern Cape. The article highlights the lack of government and community support for children in child-headed households.
However the headline and text of the TNA story repeatedly mention “AIDS orphans”. At first glance this might seem more like a case of calling a spade a spade than an instance of using the incorrect terminology, but when the term is subjected to scrutiny it is revealed to be somewhat problematic.
Papers should use “AIDS” carefully
News articles continue to confuse the HIV and AIDS issues by using the wrong terms in the wrong contexts. Besides the fact that this is technically incorrect, HIV terminology should reflect the changing nature of the condition, which has been mediated by interventions.
The headline of an article in yesterday’s edition of the Sunday Times gives us a perfect example of how not to frame an otherwise decent article on HIV.
The article which talks about new research aiming to find out why South African youth are worse affected by HIV than their US counterparts, not only lumps HIV and AIDS together in the now defunct HIV/AIDS combination but the headline also makes the mistake of talking about an ‘AIDS rate.’
Good intentions overshadowed by errors
An article in The New Age (TNA) exemplifies the importance of verification of information received from sources. The piece is also riddled with HIV-specific language and terminology issues which could affect the way HIV and AIDS and those who are affected by the conditions are perceived.Page 1 of 1 pages
