Media coverage of HIV/AIDS in the Great Lakes Region of Africa leaves much to be desired according to the report of a monitoring effort mounted in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in 2008 by Paris Panos Institute.

Relationships woven by the media in the fight against HIV and AIDS have created space to put out policies, discuss programs or report on activities. But journalists have also shown apathy for the jargon of experts and have often felt that they were being used in well-funded campaigns. There were clear differences in priorities. In order to involve the media more effectively, journalists are no longer invited to only cover the opening and closing ceremonies of seminars and workshops. Instead, partnerships are sought to be established between press institutions and businesses, for the co-production and dissemination of quality information, such as the through the grant of scholarships .

In the Great Lakes countries too, many institutions and organizations are committed to this type of partnership with the media. However, the activities of civil society actors or international organizations may overlap. Creating synergies among organizations that support the media would lead to better control of the target, better follow up in the trainings and optimization of resources.

Achievements.

This monitoring study, with a sub-regional characteristic, is a first. It involved media stakeholders and existing monitoring centers in its design, planning, implementation, as well as in the analysis and the dissemination of results.

Recommendations

At the end of the project, the monitoring officers from the three countries stressed the need to strengthen professional reflexes, among the journalists, to:
• diversify sources, angles of treatment and writing genres in order to do more in-depth analyses.
• put more focus on people affected and infected in a positive approach of their status and their roles in response to AIDS
• better identify problems and issues related to AIDS, through more structured collaboration with specialists and field actors.
• Strengthen collaboration between the media and the different actors involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS (NGOs, institutions, HIV/AIDS victims)

For the IPP, the issues arising from these recommendations reflect challenges in terms of:

Training

The monitoring officers have emphasized the poverty of the articles, in terms of analysis, cross-checking of information, diversification of sources. The evaluations of various training that journalists have received on media treatment of HIV/AIDS, organized by the Institut Panos Paris demonstrated the relevance of a pragmatic approach. The method consists of presenting various aspects of the problem to the journalists, and then exposing them to the realities of the field through the realization of reporting in the regions of the concerned countries. This approach is worth being systematized and consolidated.

Networking

The lack of exploitation of information sources was clearly highlighted as well as the need to develop a network of experts and resource persons speaking about HIV/AIDS to work in close connection with the media.

Increased interactions and exchange of information between journalists and policymakers

Given the close and direct link between public policy and the question of access to care, as well as the popularization of messages on prevention, journalists must have a systemic reading of the issue of HIV/AIDS and of their governments’ strategy to combat the pandemic. This involves a real work of knowledge and the analysis of national and international public policies in this area.

Good governance

The effective implementation of prevention programs and care in the area of AIDS represents a major challenge for the governments of African countries. It is a topic which involves on the part of journalists a genuine effort to share information that could influence government decisions. The call for greater accountability on the part of the political actors on the issue of HIV/AIDS, and for implementing the commitments they make is fundamental. Greater transparency of public policies on HIV/AIDS, including the use of budgetary resources, requires better interpellation of elected officials by the media.

Sharing of available media information

While quality information is produced it is often poorly circulated. Initiatives that should be encouraged in order to ensure better capitalization could include the creation of internet platforms as a meeting point for various actors that are active in this field.