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November 2011

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4-10 November 2011—HIV News Update.

Featured:

  • Sowetan signals that SA could be over 'AIDS fatigue': Could the Sowetan's dedication of the front page to an HIV-related story (which is prime real estate in newspaper terms), signal a change in its perception of the news value of HIV?
  • Drug resistant strains of HIV: City Press article perpetuates fears: An article in the weekend’s City Press blows the issue of drug resistant strains of HIV slightly out of proportion.
  • HIV headlines in the Daily Sun for all the wrong reasons: An expose on the front page of the Daily Sun, on a young woman who allegedly seeks to avenge her own HIV-infection by “picking up men and infecting them”, overly simplifies the issues of HIV transmission and prevention.
  • People's paper casts spotlight on HIV among "zangomas", but not much else: The Daily Sun last week reported on a joint government and civil society drive to sensitise trainee traditional healers around HIV. The main thrust of the initiative appears to have been focused on encouraging graduating healers to “practice what they preach” by knowing their own HIV-status before going out to provide services to people living with HIV.

In the news:

  • Sexist dinosaurs keeping out female condoms-activists (The New Age)
  • Sangomas trained on diseases and symptoms (TNA)
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11-17 November 2011—HIV News Update

Featured:

  • More than one reason to "lock the cookie jar": An article in the November’s homegrown glossy True Love, explores the ironically sexy concepts of abstinence and celibacy. But unfortunately this piece leaves something to the imagination…by leaving out HIV.
  • TNA talks comprehensive care: The 14th of November marks World Diabetes Day and The New Age (TNA) has produced an article highlighting the “silent pandemic”.
  • HIV activists terrorised' by god-Zille's criminalisation comments: Helen Zille recently aired and very controversial views on the criminalization of unsafe sex and who deserves HIV treatment have proved to be the sparks that ignited a slew of online media coverage and responses from outraged HIV activists.

In the news:

  • SABC1 wants your real life stories (The New Age)
  • Papa G's AIDS alert (Daily Sun)

18-24 November 2011—HIV News Update

Featured:

  • UNAIDS report: The Times paints a more detailed picture: This week the release of the latest UNAIDS World AIDS Day report generated the bulk of HIV-related media coverage, which was characterised by vastly different approaches.
  • Eastern Cape health horror: The Daily Sun this week featured the new MEC for health in the Eastern Cape’s crusade to restore and improve the province’s health services.
  • Heritage, health and neonatal circumcision: Whilst the country has welcomed the introduction of MMC as part of the overall HIV prevention package, the health minister’s bid to perform the procedure on infants has been met with resistance.

In the news:

  • Virus that causes cervical cancer increases risk of HIV (The Star)
  • TAC is facing closure (Various)

 

Wits Journalism Anova Health

The project is jointly managed by the Anova Health Institute and the Journalism and Media Studies Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand, and supported by the Health Communication Partnership based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Centre for Communication Programmes and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief through the United States Agency for International Development under terms of Award No. JH/HESA-02-05.

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