MEDIAting the AIDS Epidemic

I originally intended to discuss AIDS in the media from the perspective of how it is often portrayed in fiction, but before I do that, I wish to talk about something I stumbled upon this week as it is currently more prominent in my thoughts.

I recently got a writing gig for an online magazine's UCF branch. It is geared toward collegiate women-the paperless college Cosmopolitan, if you will. I was sitting with another writer, discussing ideas for future article, and I casually mentioned that I was blogging about HIV for a class. "Maybe I could use that for something," I said, attempting to utilize my newfound comprehension of HIV disease awareness. Immediately, I received a look that said "You're kidding, right?" Interesting, I thought. This particular magazine has thus far established itself on the basis of being "real". It is not crude or dirty, but things like sex and body image are freely discussed. What is it about this subject that irks people so?

Even I've noticed that, as some means of "playing safe", AIDS articles often focus on the scientific aspect rather than its social and emotional implications, failing to tackle the attitudes about AIDS that are actually major culprits of facilitating the spread of the disease. Upon researching the topic of AIDS in the media, a sort of assessment done on mediachannel.org confirmed that this is the thought of many a journalist, some of which are trying to take it upon themselves to do their part in spreading awareness about every dynamic of the disease.

I believe that by taking a more subjective approach, unlike with some subjects, we might be able to use pathos (though un-exaggerated), to instill within average readers (who may not get the opportunity to explore HIV/AIDS like we do through this class) a greater understanding of the significance of the disease and how it relates to society. In fact, the description of one link found on the mediachannel.org story mentions a narrative about a family dealing with AIDS and outlines methods for journalists to follow its lead in writing more relevant stories that can accomplish the same reactions for everyday media. Journalists, while often discredited for a lack of integrity in bringing stories, that are sometimes biased, to the general public, are actually in a powerful position to reach others that might not otherwise delve into a world that as of yet is not their own.

http://www.mediachannel.org/originals/aids.shtml

Did You Know

I've seen different portions of this website come up on a couple of other blogs and I actually posted the link in a reply, but I think it's something everybody should read. Misconceptions about the origin of HIV contribute to the lack of knowledge surrounding the disease, so here is an article regarding the history of HIV. While it does, like many sources, mention that the first known cases popped up in the gay community, realize that it is currently significant to everyone.

http://www.avert.org/origin-aids-hiv.htm

The site also contains some firsthand accounts that better describe the multi-faceted disease than the biology articles I often come across. The latter are interesting, but do not grab the attention of everyone and give the insight necessary to promote awareness.