Global Issues

Health Journalism

In countries around the globe, public health policies and health- related attitudes and behavior are greatly influenced by local media coverage. Yet the state of health journalism in many countries remains poor due to lack of resources, the low priority given to health coverage by media outlets, lack of quality training for media professionals, and limited access to reliable information, among other obstacles. Internews helps to improve the frequency and quality of media reporting and programming on HIV/AIDS, malaria, avian flu, and other critical health issues around the world. Using a journalist-to-journalist peer approach to training and capacity-building, Internews provides support to journalists and engages with media managers to improve coverage of health issues.

Over the last four years, Internews has trained and intensively mentored over 1000 health journalists in 8 countries.  Nearly 450 representatives from non-governmental, community-based and PLHIV organizations have participated in practical media liaison training, and over 3000 editors, media managers, journalists and others have joined topical roundtables on HIV/AIDS and other health issues.

Improving Reporting About HIV/AIDS Worldwide

Internews launched the Local Voices project in 2002 in Nigeria and Kenya, with support from the US Agency for International Development and continuing support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to train and support local radio journalists, talk show hosts and DJs to improve their reporting and programming on issues related to HIV/ AIDS. In 2005-06, the project expanded to Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire and included support for print journalists. Internews has also conducted support activities for improved HIV/AIDS coverage in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, in partnership with Internews Europe’s project, Turnaround Time, funded by the British Department for International Development. Internews is also launching a Local Voices project in Tamil Nadu, India.

In addition to supporting journalists, Internews has convened media managers in Russia, India, and Local Voices project sites to increase and improve media programming on HIV/AIDS. As a result, media outlets have increased air time and print space to the issue and have begun to use more accurate and less stigmatizing language on HIV/AIDS.

In collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum Internews Network has also convened media leaders in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal to foster a commitment to better coverage of HIV/ AIDS in the media in South Asia.

At the International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006, Internews provided extensive support to developing country journalists covering the conference, and co-sponsored a session with the World Bank on African news media and HIV/AIDS.

See Also:

Stories of Courage: Women & Children Living with HIV - five radio programs produced by Local Voices trained journalists from Kenya, India, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Radio Content Analysis Shows Improved Radio News Coverage of HIV in Kenya, by Elizabeth Gold and Mia Malan, Internews Network, September 2006 – prepared for submission to the World Congress on Communication for Development conference in Rome, Italy October 25-27.

My Dead Husband’s Land, a documentary produced by Internews Senior Health Advisor Mia Malan, spotlights an AIDS widow’s struggle for her rights.

Analyzing Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS

Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS often pose challenges for journalists covering the experiences of people  living with the virus. In some places it is often difficult for  people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) to receive accurate information  in the media about HIV such as access to treatment and support.

Internews’ Local Voices project, in collaboration with two of the leading international networks on HIV/AIDS,  the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+), and the International  Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO), issued a report in November 2006 that analyzes responses  from people living with HIV and frontline AIDS care and service providers  from 44 countries who were asked their views on local news coverage on  HIV/AIDS.

More than 300 respondents from two online surveys, focus groups in three  countries, and several interviews said that although reporting on HIV/AIDS  has improved somewhat over the last five to ten years, the quality of  media coverage in their countries is still mainly infrequent and inaccurate.

The report, “Voice and Visibility: Frontline perspectives  on how the global news media reports on HIV/AIDS,” contributes to Local Voices project planning, serves as  a resource for individuals or organizations interested in PLHIV  views about the media and will contribute to handbooks, toolkits  and other materials to provide PLHIV with guidance on how to  interact best with the media.

Training Journalists to Cover Avian Flu Effectively

Internews trains reporters in effective and accurate coverage of health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and avian flu. Here, an Indonesian journalist interviews a chicken seller about avian flu at a market in Bandung, West Java. Photo: James Fahn/Internews

Local media play a critical role in influencing the response of governments and public attitudes towards a possible pandemic. Accurate and informative reporting that focuses on solutions can help forestall confusion, mistrust, and even panic.

As concerns about avian flu grew, Internews conducted needs assessments in Ukraine, Indonesia, India and Nigeria to better understand the constraints local journalists face when reporting on avian influenza.

To support journalists in their coverage of bird flu, Internews developed a journalism training program, supported by UNICEF, to improve the technical skills needed to cover this complex and rapidly developing story. The program also trained journalists on safety precautions needed when covering “bird flu,” and provided access to accurate, up-to-date information in local languages.

Resources on avian flu

More Information on Health Journalism Programs - Multimedia