The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has challenged senior editors to adapt innovative and creative ways of telling HIV/AIDS stories.
MCK Director for Media Training and Development Mr Victor Bwire says that with limited resources and few staff members, senior editors should engage more in story writing as part of their journalistic role.
“Editors in newsrooms are concentrating more on the administrative part of their work and forgetting their journalistic role of story writing. I implore you to take up an active role in story writing by highlighting stories on the Triple Threat to the fight against HIV/AIDS”, he told a meeting with editors to reflect on coverage of HIV/AIDS convened by MCK and the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) in Machakos.
He asked the editors to exercise balance and fairness when assigning stories while urging them to take deliberate action in the coverage of HIV/AIDS.
“HIV/AIDS is community issue that needs to be highlighted in the media to keep the story alive through solution-based journalism. As journalists, it is time to focus on what is happening around our community through our stories. Let us embrace solution-based journalism to give hope and remember that the information shared is also part of our life-saving skills”, noted Mr Bwire.
“Consider your audience first and give them content that they can relate to. As journalists, you have a higher role to educate and shape trends through agenda setting”.
He further requested the team from NSDCC and MCK to develop tool kits containing summarisied information on the key trends for journalists.
NDSCC acting CEO Mr Greg Weere informed the participants that the partnership between his organsation and the Council was part of a deliberate efforts to structurally involve the media in the HIV response.
“Awareness is one of the challenges faced in disseminating information. We believe that the media is a critical partner who can assist us in creating awareness and effecting behaviour change as we seek to combat the scourge”, he said.
He noted that the Triple Threat has been exacerbated by the fact that teenagers fear getting pregnant than being infected by HIV due to the reduction of stigma among persons living with the virus.
He assured the media of their commitment to grant access to information to journalists to enable them report accurately on HIV/AIDS matters.
“I am convinced that the growing media fatigue around HIV coverage shall be addressed with your commitment. NDSCC will work with the media and grant information to journalists seeking to report on issues around HIV/AIDS”, said Mr Weere.