Concord Times (Freetown)
Rachel Horner
14 April 2008
Freetown — Media can play a crucial role in creating an enabling and supportive environment wherein some of the taboos and underlying driving forces of HIV/AIDS epidemic can be addressed.
These means of mass communication are in the best position to create better awareness about HIV/AIDS which is necessary because it would serve as a preamble for individuals who are eager to critically look at the challenges posed by the epidemic.
The first hand information would enable individuals make informed decisions that would help prevent infections, protect themselves and ensure proper care and treatment of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
It is also expedient to mention that news coverage reinforces the information people receive about the epidemic from other sources like friends, healthcare workers and billboard or advert campaigns.
Challenges faced by journalists in Sierra Leone Covering issues of HIV/AIDS with utmost competence requires a clear understanding of the challenges and the obstacles faced by journalists in Sierra Leone.
Media practitioners in general do not have adequate skills in reporting on HIV/AIDS effectively.
Tradition and false impression as well as lack of understanding of the epidemic's terminologies are portrayed in media reports in Sierra Leone.
There are limited HIV/AIDS resource centers and this makes it difficult for journalists to get relevant and up-to-date information on the epidemic that can be used to come up with informative media reports on the dreadful disease.
Finally, the general standard of journalism in Sierra Leone is rather low. The challenge has always been limited or some of the reporters still lack the skills in the areas of writing, editing and effective dissemination of information - especially in the print media.
It will be good for NAS to help in building the capacity of journalists rather than criticize them.
Several efforts by the few active executive members of HIV/AIDS Reporters Association (HARA) to see how best their members can meet to organize programmes that would enhance the proper dissemination of HIV/AIDS information has proven futile as only few are committed.
Others wait for press conferences to get public relations stuff from organizations tackling HIV/AIDS issues. The association can only boast of about half a million leones in its treasury.
Journalists under the auspices of HARA always promote organizations in their fights against this disease but they are not doing anything on their own. Despite the fact that National Aids Secretariat (NAS) has never empowered us in any way but we always promote their activities. What does NAS take us for? The institution is always criticizing us but it has not done anything to build our capacity.
Building capacity to report on HIV and AIDS HARA, in partnership with UNAIDS, has undertaken workshops aimed at building the capacity of journalists in Freetown and the provinces. Already, two workshops have been conducted by the Ministry of Information and Communication. UNICEF has also been helpful to journalists in fighting this menace. But a lot more needs to be done.
HIV/AIDS Reporters Association At the conclusion of the first HIV/AIDS workshop organized by the Ministry of Information and Communication in 2004, participants felt the need to form an association named HIV/AIDS Reporters Association (HARA).
An executive body was formed for HARA with a committed leadership that is ready to help journalists function at their utmost before the Association lost its president, Harry Hassan.
Despite that, the Association still moved on with no office space, no funds and lack of active participation of members.
Several meetings were held with members pledging to give the epidemic prominence in their media by dedicating airtime/space to HIV/AIDS issues and also coming up with special broadcasts and columns on HIV/AIDS.
The association was able to organize a press conference in collaboration with NAS in commemoration of World Aids Day.
Way forward HARA is calling on NAS and the information ministry and other NGOs to see how they can help build our capacities and also help us to be more vigorous in HIV/AIDS issues as it is our responsibility to inform and educate the public.
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