The Press Council of India has issued a new set of guidelines for reporting within India on people suffering from HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), revising a set of guidelines issued last in 1993.
The guidelines, developed in association with UNAIDS, were released on Sunday, and emphasise on factual accuracies and ask journalists to report a story with a human face. "Accuracy is critical since important personal and policy decisions may be influenced by media reports. In the context of HIV and AIDS, this means that journalists need to be very careful about the scientific and medical details as well as statistics," the guidelines say.
The guidelines also stress a lot on accuracy of language and terminologies. Journalists should
be particularly careful to get scientific and statistical information right. "They must integrate this with correct terminology. For instance, it is essential to know and make clear the difference between HIV and AIDS. Being a syndrome or a collection of symptoms, AIDS cannot itself be transmitted, nor is there an AIDS virus, nor an AIDS carrier. Similarly, a person either does or does not have AIDS. Since there are no degrees of AIDS, the expression ‘full-blown AIDS’ is meaningless."
Since HIV is not synonymous with AIDS, ‘HIV/AIDS’ as a term is no longer considered accurate. With AIDS not being a singular disease but a syndrome defined by a variety of diseases and cancers, a person does not ‘die of AIDS’. It would instead be accurate to report that he or she died of an HIV-related illness.
Terminology used must be appropriate and non-stigmatising. The media must cross check
changes in terminology and language. Terms like ‘scourge’ to describe the infection have
been discarded. Other terms like AIDS carrier, prostitute, drug addict, AIDS
patient/victim/sufferer also lead to stigma and should not be used.
DOS
- Media must inform and educate the people, not alarm or scare them
- Be objective, factual and sensitive
- Keep abreast with changing realities of fast-evolving infection
- Use appropriate language and terminology that is non-stigmatising
- Ensure headlines are accurate and balanced
- Be responsible; give all sides of the picture, using voices of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIVs)
- Dispel misconceptions about prevention and transmission
- Debunk myths about miracle cures and unscientific claims of protection from infection
- Highlight positive stories without underplaying seriousness of the issue
- Uphold confidentiality of infected people, their families and associates
- Ensure photographs do not breach their confidentiality
- Ensure photo captions are accurate
- Ensure gender sensitive reporting and avoid stereotyping
- Obtain data from authorised sources as inaccurate reports have adverse impact on morale and increase stigma
- Journalists are responsible for ensuring interviewees understand repercussions of revelations/identification
- Ensure informed consent, in written form wherever possible
- Balance coverage of a negative story like HIV-related suicide or incidence of discrimination by including contacts of helplines/counselling centres
- Broaden reportage to examine impact of infection on economic, business, political and development issues
- When in doubt contact the local network of positive people or state aids control society or existing terminology guidelines for clarification
- Ensure questions are not deeply personal or accusatory
- Show PLHIVs in a positive light by portraying them as individuals instead of ‘victims’
DON’TS
- Don’t sensationalise the story
- Don’t make value judgements that seek to blame PLHIVs
- Don’t use terms like ‘scourge’ to describe the infection or describe PLHIVs as AIDS carrier, prostitute, drug addict, AIDS patient/victim/sufferer
- Don’t focus needlessly on how a PLHIV was infected
- Don’t identify children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS by name or through a photograph even with consent
- Don’t use hidden cameras
- Avoid alarmist reports and images of the sick and dying that convey a sense of gloom, helplessness and isolation
- Don’t use skull, crossbones, snakes or such visuals as graphics
- Avoid references to caste, gender or sexual orientation
- Don’t reinforce stereotypes about sexual minorites including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)
- Don’t portray infected persons as victims, culprits or objects of pity
- Don’t promote misleading advertisements related to HIV, STIs, skin diseases, tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections
- Don’t breach the confidentiality of those opting for voluntary testing
