Media Watch
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Excellent journalism benefits all in our society
One event and the reporting of an issue demonstrated in the past few weeks that there is excellence in our journalism. Four years ago Discovery Health launched an annual competition for excellence in health journalism, of which I am the convener.EDITORIAL: Being HIV-savvy is essential, and now also easy
How the media handled the announcement that Thabang Lebese died of AIDS-related complications this week is telling of the lack of basic HIV-knowledge among some reporters.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.’
Articles on forced jabs choose sensation over information
Reports of contraceptive injections administered to girls as young as 10 at a primary school in Port Elizabeth, have raised a dull hum throughout the news media.
However reports leave questions around rape and HIV and HIV prevention in general unaddressed.
Sundry articles have also reported that girls at a Port Elizabeth primary school were given the contraceptive injections without their parents consent. The articles have also chosen to focus on the fact that the girls were told that the injections would prevent unwanted pregnancy if they were raped.
While shocking and sensational details such as these are common media fodder, they are often the sole focus, leaving other pertinent questions unaddressed. Specifically questions around whether or not messages about HIV prevention were communicated to the girls are left unconsidered.
Manyi’s editing eye picks up real news
Today the front page of the ‘Manyi Times’ screams ‘Winning the HIV battle.’ It’s hard to choose what to be more bemused about: The fact that HIV seems to be front page news or the slightly controversial Jimmy Manyi having a newspaper named after his person.
But the 'Manyi Times' is not the real deal and HIV doesn’t make headlines. The front page is only an artist’s impression of what Jimmy Manyi would include in the paper if he was editor for a day.
Daily Sun readers HIV aware
JournAIDS has blogged about the Daily Sun and Sunday Sun tabloids’ ‘HIV friendly’ approach before but Monday’s edition of the Daily Sun showed that readers are responsive to the tabloids’ HIV priority.
Monday’s edition of the Daily Sun featured a letter from a reader, encouraging people to talk about HIV. Content from the same day’s lonely hearts style ‘Sunlove’ section also shows that readers are aware of HIV, are addressing HIV-related stigma and are taking steps to protect themselves from the virus.
Sowetan steps up to the plate
An article in the Sowetan hints at the news media becoming aware of the role they have to play in educating the public on all things HIV.
While the main thrust of the article is to report on the success of Gauteng’s TB programme (current 81 percent cure rate in comparison to 64 percent in 2004), the Sowetan also takes the time to provide some basic information on the condition.
TNA ticks all the boxes
A featured article in The New Age (TNA) uncovers the SA prisons system’s secret scourge. Choruses of assenting and dissenting voices, broaching all aspects of the matter allow for an informative and balanced article.
The article opens by recounting one young man witnessing the rape of another in a Durban prison. This ‘hook’ not only draws the reader in through holding off on the hard facts but humanises the prisoner, successfully bringing a society’s cast offs into the public consciousness as living breathing human beings who are capable of pity and fear.
Through the narrative device the article clearly communicates that male rape is wrong because it represents the violation of a living, breathing and feeling human being. But in providing the context of HIV, the writer shows that sexual assault in prisons gains an added dimension as a deadly biological threat which extends beyond prison walls.
HIV sets the stage for other players
Through showing that a high HIV prevalence is a back drop against which other dramas are played out, The New Age (TNA) have given us a good example of how HIV can, and should, be mainstreamed in the news media.Come out swinging: Following through can drive change
In some ways investigative journalism is like a good tennis swing. A good swing requires follow through to make sure that the ball achieves the desired momentum.
Investigative journalism also requires follow through. Researching, writing and publishing the story are but one part of the job. But making the effort to follow the story through to its conclusion and allowing the story to build momentum can drive change.
The Times showed off its investigative journalism swing by publishing an up date on the forced HIV testing story which broke (for the second time) two weeks ago. And while the piece is small, it’s potential to help settle the issue should not be underestimated.
