WNYC’s ‘On the Media’ Interviews Internews Resident Advisers on Training Local Journalists for Reporting on HIV/AIDS

WNYC's "On the Media," an NPR-syndicated show, on Friday included an interview with Cece Fadope and Mia Malan, resident advisers for Internews' "Local Voices" project, a program funded by the USAID that trains local journalists in the science of HIV/AIDS and how to report on the pandemic from a "more human perspective." According to Malan, who is an adviser in Kenya, journalists in the country previously presented stories that mostly cited statistics or announced the opening of a new office or project. "Local Voices" in Kenya teaches journalists to "give AIDS a human face" by including case studies in their stories to make them "accessible to the average person on the street" and providing follow-up reports on HIV/AIDS issues. The project also provides accurate statistics on HIV/AIDS and organizes workshops that teach journalists the basic science behind commonly reported topics, such as antiretroviral medications. As a result of the project, two of Kenya's largest radio stations -- KBC and Radio Citizen -- now include weekly stories on HIV/AIDS, Malan said. According to Fadope, who works in Nigeria, before Internews came to the country, there were reports about HIV/AIDS in other countries but "there was local denial about the spread of HIV in-country." Reporting on Nigerian communities and HIV/AIDS has allowed residents to see "firsthand other people who are living positively with HIV so they can address their issue," she said. In addition, "Local Voices" in Nigeria has focused on examining and shifting regional language used to describe HIV/AIDS to reduce the fear and stigma about receiving HIV testing and treatment (Garfield, "On the Media," WNYC, 6/10).

The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.