What Journalists Need to

Know

Mark A. Wainberg
McGill University AIDS Centre
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The J2J programme is a success
Martinez-Cajas JL, Cédric F. Invernizzi, Michel Ntemgwa, Susan M. Schader
and Mark A. Wainberg. The Impact of the Journalist-to-Journalist Program on
Worldwide HIV Awareness. AIDS. 2008, Vol 22.

Martinez-Cajas JL, Cédric F. Invernizzi, Michel Ntemgwa, Susan M. Schader

and Mark A. Wainberg. Benefits of an Educational Program for Journalists on
Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries. Journal of the
International AIDS Society (accepted for publication).
 Topics discussed in journalists reports
Topics Number of reports

Global epidemiology and public health priorities of HIV/AIDS 8

Conference coverage 6
Innovative methods to increase public awareness about HIV/AIDS in 2
developing countries
Coverage of government responses 1
Restricted ART access in developing country settings 5
Information on low use of MTCT prevention, pediatric ARV limitations, and 3
the growing problems of orphans due to HIV/AIDS worldwide
Culturally-related responses to prevention strategies, importance of youth, 2
women, and NGOs in fighting HIV/AIDS
Coverage of J2J the program and its benefits 2

Coverage of people with HIV/AIDS, stigma-related issues and family effects of 2

MTCT of HIV/AIDS
Discussion on social aspects of HIV transmission in heavily-affected areas, risk 5
reduction strategies in high-risk populations, enhancing prevention strategies,
non-typical higher risk populations.
Information about microbicide trials and ARV treatment in case of rape. 1
Financial support for HIV/AIDS-affected people in developing countries 1
Regions from which J2J attendees filed
HIV/AIDS reports

Asia
Africa
Eastern Europe
Western Europe
Caribbean
North America
South America
Oceania
Unknown
 Journalists' perceptions on usefulness of the J2J HIV/AIDS program

Negative 0
Positive 100 Quality of public response

Decreased 0
Remained the same 16.1 Has the reaction of local community
Increased 83.9 changed in response to your coverage
of HIV/AIDS news?

Decreased 2.6
Remained the same 17.9 Has HIV/AIDS coverage changed in
Significantly increased 79.5 frequency?

Never useful 0
Only initially useful 0
Fairly useful 23.7 Has J2J helped you better understand
Very useful 76.3 HIV/AIDS information?

0 50 100
%
 AIDSTruth.org

Tries to combat the efforts of HIV denialists

such as Health Minister
Tshabalala-Msimang of South Africa
 Journalist Heroes of the HIV
Wars

a. South African journalists

b. Journalists working in countries in which
openness about sex is discouraged
c. Journalists who challenge authority to tell
the truth
 Nicoli Nattrass

Mortal Combat: AIDS Denialism and the

Struggle for Antiretrovirals in South Africa
(Oxford University Press, 2007).
 Elisabeth Pisani

The Wisdom of Whores, Viking Press, 2008

New ideas about AIDS that challenge
mainstream thinking are often popular.
However, it is important for journalists to
challenge half-truths, which are often a
feature of such writing.
A favorite ploy of AIDS denialists is to say
that HIV/AIDS is no longer a problem,
because hardly anyone in the West dies of
AIDS anymore. Then, they go on to debunk
the value of ARVs.
 It is important to realize that the
motives of HIV denialists are multiple:

1. Profit: Alternative medicines, book sales

2. Notoriety: Some journalists and “scientists”
3. Political: Winning elections, economic factor
THANK YOU