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The role of media to fight HIV/AIDS in PNG
By PETER SOLO KINJAP
Words can make you laugh, or cry. Words can bring humor or
sadness. They can bring a curse or a blessing on one’s life.
Medical doctors advise us that patients require ‘psychotherapy’
attention, to complement the medical drugs taken for their health
conditions.
Specialized professionals in this field identify the therapeutic
remedies to be encouraging and positive words. Negative words can
worsen the patient’s health condition.
Likewise, in the world of HIV/AIDS the use of certain words can
cause panic to those infected and affected by the disease.
People living with HIV/AIDS also need ‘psychotherapy’ treatment
like positive words to help them live longer.
In a recent media report, a person living with HIV criticized the
media on the continuous use of the word “killer disease” when
reporting on HIV and AIDS issues.
Joseph Epu living with the disease for almost seven years said the
virus is not a life threatening issue or deadly as portrayed in
the media reports, but manageable through behavioral change.
Mr Epu said the media’s description of HIV and AIDS as deadly
should be changed and rather be replaced by other positive words
if they (the media) want to help disseminate the information and
fight HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea.
He said words like “killer disease” instills fear in people living
with the virus and can have negative impact on them. Mr Epu said
behavior change was the only way forward to live a positive life
and fight HIV/AIDS.
“The battle is determined by people infected and living with the
virus and not by organizations combating HIV/AIDS in the country”,
said Mr. Epu when speaking to the Behavioral Change Communication
team from RD Tuna canners in Madang.
HIV has been first detected in Papua New Guinea in 1987 with only
six cases reported. It has since spread. A recent report stated
that about 15, 586 people were confirmed to be infected with HIV
and AIDS in PNG today.
The PNG media has a huge role to play in informing and at the same
time educating our people on the dangers and impact of HIV and
AIDS. So far the media in Papua New Guinea have been very
supportive in the call to action on the HIV and AIDS prevention,
awareness as well as positive living.
Additionally, when reporting on HIV and AIDS, we must be more
sensitive and to write comprehensively on HIV and AIDS so that our
people are helped.
The media must be mindful of the correct use of language in
reporting, so we do not upset other members of our society who are
HIV positive or those who are affected by HIV and AIDS.
According to the conclusions of researches published under the
Media, Information and Development in Papua New Guinea edited by
Evangelia Papoutsaki and Dick Rooney (2006) at the Divine Word
University (DWU) in Madang, it points out that media have a
responsibility to cultivate a well informed society as part of the
solutions to the socio-economic problems we face today.
Respondents throughout these studies suggest that more voices and
more time need to be dedicated to community-level issues
(including the information campaigns on HIV and AIDS), in what
seem to be a working definition of Melanesian social equality.
I urge all journalists who report on HIV and AIDS in Papua New
Guinea to get a copy of a handbook titled “HIV/AIDS: A Guide for
Journalists” produced by the National AIDS Council of Papua New
Guinea (NACS).
Journalists must use the guidelines in this handbook as they play
a vital role in informing the public about this serious health
threat and joining efforts by the governments, donor agencies, UN
agencies, developmental partners, NGOs, FBOs, CSOs, Churches and
others groups and individuals to prevent further spread of HIV.
While some in the media have opted purely for the later component,
most editors and journalists are committed to informing their
audiences about events that affect them. Generally, however, news
stories concentrate on politics, sports and business, while health
is regarded as less appealing. This may explain why the health
page has disappeared from many newspapers throughout the Pacific.
While it is vital for the public to know the extent of a health
problem through reports from workshops to the latest statistics,
there is an additional need for the media to provide ways, methods
and practices that will help combat preventable diseases. Without
these two aspects (facts and remedies) news reports create sense
of helpless and even worse, complacency.
The spread of HIV and the way in which society reacts to it
depends to a great extent on media coverage.
Most people do not read medical journals for health information
but obtain it from the television, radio and newspapers. The
early, confused information about HIV and the continued
discrepancy in reporting standards has led to a widespread fear of
the virus and confusion about how it is transmitted.
Journalists have a huge responsibility to inform the public fairly
and accurately about the virus. This responsibility outweighs
their own attitudes and prejudices and any pressure they may come
under to provide sensational, badly researched and inaccurate
stories.
The HIV/AIDS guide booklet for journalists also has a list of
correct use of words. Such words as “prostitute” were
appropriately replaced with phrases like “sex worker”. Words like
“AIDS orphans” were replaced with “children living with HIV/AIDS
affected families”. Words such as “killer disease” were to be
replaced by phrases like this “a preventable disease with no
cure”.
Indeed it is a difficult story to cover in PNG were we have more
than 840 different languages and different traditions and
cultures.
HIV/AIDS is perceived as a sexually transmitted infection, which
is contracted through culturally unexpected behavior.
Also people are frightened to be known or associated with HIV/AIDS
because of possible discrimination and accusation. Further,
describing possible risks and prevention methods presents cultural
difficulties since talking about sex in Papua New Guinea is
regarded as a taboo subject.
Trying to put a human face on the topic is extremely difficult but
not impossible.
The media is to take the lead.
- The author can be contacted by: PO Box 841, Boroko, NCD or
email: yeepai@yahoo.com
 
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