Media & AIDS:

How journalists can do better

Guy Berger

What’s up:

1. Media in the mix2. What news does …3. Impact?4. Why impact could be greater5. What’s to be done …6. Conclusion

What’s up:

1.Media in the mix2. What news does …3. Impact?4. Why impact cd be greater5. What’s to be done …6. Conclusion

1. Media in the mix• Social marketing programmes• Persuasive & educational content

– Aims at behavioural change– Counters adverts, traditions, ignorance.

• SABC: Soul City (& Soul Buddyz)– 6 TV, 6 radio series, 17m booklets, – One of top 3 TV programmes.

Media in the mix

• Where does broadcast news fit in?– Not driven by a change-

agenda,

– Yet still in the total AIDS comms spectrum.

What’s up: 1. Media in the mix

2.What news does …3. Impact?4. Why impact could be greater5. What’s to be done …6. Conclusion

What news does:

1. Affects emotions & attitudes: – even though this is not its

prime purpose (unlike social marketing).

BUT fear-despair plays 2 ways.

What news does:

2. Informs & educates:

Eg. antiretrovirals, CD4 count, diet, infection stats.

But: also myths & mistakes

What news does:3. Sets agenda:

– how NB is the issue, which issue?

– “cries wolf? Disaster!”

4. Frames the story: – Gay disease? Stigma? – Lays blame…

What news does:5. Watchdog:

– On AIDS industry; Big Pharma; Govt & business policies.

– Some say: overdone = story reduced to politics.

Summing up - News:• Affects emotions/attitude,• Informs & educate,• Sets agendas,• Frames interpretation,• Plays watchdog. NOTE: not always +ve role!

What’s up: 1. Media in the mix2. What news does …

3.Impact?4. Why impact could be greater5. What’s to be done …6. Conclusion

3. With what impact?

SA horrendous stats: – 10% HIV+, i.e. 5 million

– Demographics:

poor, early 30s, women

With what impact?

Wd probably be worse without joint media efforts!

Coverage has changed govt & also pharma policy …

But more impact still needed!

What’s up: 1. Media in the mix

2. What news does …

3. Impact?

4. Why impact could be greater

5. What’s to be done …

6. Conclusion

Social marketing shows impact:

Soul City audience were:3x more likely than others to experience progressive norms.

4x more likely than others to– use condoms, taken HIV test,– help HIV+ person, use help-line.

Soul City audience:

Prior to exposure, 1 in 5 said their friends believed men had a right to non-condomized sex.

Post exposure, it was 1 in 10.

–Shows impact on norms

Soul City = information

Knowledge that AIDS has no cure rose from 80% to 90%

pre- & post-exposure to S.C.

i.e sophisticated propaganda against AIDS has some effect.

But what about news?:

Journalism impacts on politicians,

… but its impact on people is a lot less than it could be.

What about news?: News “excuses”:Fallacies of: • “audience fatigue” • “feebleness of news”More can be done!

What’s up: 1. Media in the mix

2. What news does …

3. Impact?

4. Why impact could be greater

5. What’s to be done …6. Conclusion

5. What is to be done:an agenda for news

1. More accurate info needed: – Edit wording like

“died of AIDS”, “Aids sufferer”;

- Avoid false hopes;

- Kill jargon. (eg. “HIV positive”)

What is to be done:

2. Do systematic & creative & helpful coverage:– Less doomsday

sensationalism.– Keep AIDS on news agenda.

What is to be done:

3. Full range of angles, not just one:– economics, health care,

sexuality, epidemiology, science, orphans, gender, etc. … & politics.

What is to be done:

4. Watchdog role should be even-handed:– Put responsibility on all

role players:• Govt, business, civil

society, individuals.

What is to be done:

5. Ethics must be improved: – respect privacy,

– avoid stigmatising,

– get source consent.

What is to be done:

6. Strategy is required from media leaders:

– Policy in your company? Your own role models?

What is to be done:

7. Not just any story – this one needs proactivity.

What is to be done:

8. Ongoing staff training is needed:

• Avoid ghetto-izing expertise.

What’s up: 1. Media in the mix2. What news does …3. Impact?4. Why impact could be greater5. What’s to be done …

6.Conclusion

Summing up: Journalism is different to social marketing.

AIDS news plays in many arenas: political, personal, etc.

It complements other AIDS comms impact.

But:News sets false limits on its

own impact potential.

Coverage does not have to be advocacy journalism in order to increase its impact.

• It must make more difference!

  Thank you

Think about your potential for impact in both social marketing & news…

Be a proactive player when it comes to the range of comms about AIDS!