Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

More than 1,000 Journalists Enlisted in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Friday, September 5, 2008 General News
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 In some countries, lime juice isthought to ward off HIV/AIDS. In others, homosexuality is not publiclydiscussed.

Against such a backdrop of misinformation and stigma, how can developingcountries fight a virus that has already killed tens of millions of people?

Part of the answer is to enlist the power of the local news media, saysInternews Network, an international media development nonprofit that hasprovided in-depth training and mentoring to over 1,000 journalists. Leadersof the program from four countries -- India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia --will gather in Washington, D.C. to discuss their work at the National PressClub on Sept. 9. Registration and refreshments are from 8:30-9:00 a.m., andthe special briefing, "Why Local Media Matters for Public Health," runs from9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The media is invited to attend.

"We estimate that these 1,000 journalists we trained reached a combinedaudience of 150 million people. So you can make the case that one journalisttrained in HIV/AIDS reporting can single-handedly, on average, reach 150,000people. That's a tremendously effective use of resources," says Dr. LaurieZivetz, director of Internews' HIV/AIDS media training and mentoring project,and one of the panelists at the Sept. 9 presentation.

Three decades after HIV was first clinically identified, ordinary citizensliving in many developing countries still lag far behind countries like theUnited States when it comes to receiving accurate information about how toprevent infection. Discrimination and stigma further complicate efforts toencourage prevention and treatment. Local journalists, talk show hosts, andradio deejays can and must play a key role in reporting effectively, in a waythat reduces stigma and gives people accurate information about their health.

"Journalists are the prism through which far greater populations learnabout this disease, so it's vitally important that they get the informationcorrect," Dr. Zivetz says. "As the messenger, journalists have the ability-literally-to save lives."

Internews, a nonprofit based in California with an office in Washington,D.C., has worked in 70 countries worldwide to empower local media worldwide togive people the news and information they need and the means to make theirvoices heard.

The National Press Club is located at 529 14th Street NW in Washington,D.C. The briefing will be held in the First Amendment Room on the 13th floor.For more information, visit www.internews.org.Dr. Zivetz will be joined by a panel of respected experts, including: -- Jon Cohen - Correspondent on HIV/AIDS and health issues, Science magazine -- Mia Malan - Internews Senior Health Journalism Advisor, Washington, D.C. -- Jaya Shreedhar, M.D. . Resident Journalism Advisor, India -- Ida Jooste . Resident Journalism Advisor, Kenya -- Josephine Kamara . Resident Journalism Advisor, Nigeria -- Sonya De Masi . Resident Journalism Advisor, Ethiopia

SOURCE Internews
Sponsored Post and Backlink Submission


Latest Press Release on General News

This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close