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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Ndubuisi Christopher Edeoga, MBBS, Allied and Public Health Department, Northern illinois university, 230 Augusta Avenue #1 Dekalb il 60115, Dekalb, IL 60115, 815 756 5841, ncedeoga@hotmail.com and Chikwe A. Ihekweazu, MPH, staff, Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf Germany, Fehmarner street 15, 13353 Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Background: The press is a very important means of disseminating information on HIV/AIDS in every country. Nigeria is well known for its vibrant press, yet it has often been criticized for un-professionalism and sensationalism in the reporting of the HIV/AIDS situation. Methods: 3 Nigerian newspapers that have a presence on the world wide net were reviewed for articles published using the key words HIV or AIDS. These were then analysed for the last 2 years retrospectively. 10 factors were used in the analysis. Results: 82% of the articles studied were news articles, 17% features articles while 1% were editorials. Most of the news articles with stories on alleged cures, which dominated the newspapers for about 6 months. There was however a predominance of such stories in one of the newspapers. Less than 10% of the articles contained the word condom. Recommendations: while there is little doubt that HIV/AIDS has received a lot more publicity over the past years, this can hardly be described as positive. The reports seem to enforce stigmatisation. There is an obvious need to educate the Nigerian press on their role and power in the dissemination of information and the effects their work can have on the lives of people
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Media, Health Promotion
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.