Have we learned from history? A comparative critical assessment of the Independent Group's coverage of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa in 2004 and 2011

Abstract

Media reporting and analysis play important roles in developing public understanding of key elements of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and also promote understanding amongst professionals working in the field. However, this article simultaneously acknowledges that certain media may limit the ways in which understanding takes place, depending on their ideological position. The aim here is to attempt to understand how the Independent Group of newspapers in South Africa reports on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The article begins with a brief attempt to unravel the ideological and political construction of the pandemic, as represented on the Independent Group's website from 1 January 2004 to 12 February 2004, and 1 April to 31 May 2011. The article highlights trends during both periods, to help demonstrate the way in which certain events have been selected and depicted. The author briefly examines the ways in which the discourse of news was constructed and mediated through the online stories. The advocacy role of the media vis-à-vis HIV/AIDS reporting is briefly addressed. The author ultimately attempts to map out some ethical guidelines for the coverage of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and the challenges this presents with regard to the relationship between the media and inequalities in the pandemic.