Guidelines on Media Reporting/Visuals for AIDS

This information article published in The India Post describes the updated Press Council of India guidelines on coverage of HIV/AIDS-related media. Under the mandate of Section 13(2)(b) of the Press Council Act, 1978, a set of guidelines was created to facilitate the functioning of the media. The guidelines concerning the subject of AIDS and HIV were drawn up in 1993 and redrafted in 2008 by representatives of The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and activists of HIV/AIDS reporting. According to the author of this article, the source for this initiative is Usha Rai, Swapna Majumdar, and Dr. E. Mohamed Rafique. The core group held two workshops on September 18 2008 and October 10 2008 to discuss and debate the guidelines formulated. It proposed that these guidelines should be translated into as many languages as possible for the benefit of journalists at various levels. These guidelines are for print and electronic media. Their dissemination through The India Post is, according to the author, through the advocacy of Anuj Pandy, CEO, The India Post, India office.

This description of the guidelines includes the following themes:

• Be objective, factual, and sensitive
• Ensure accurate language and terminology
• Debunk myths related to prevention of HIV and miracle cures
• Make photographs, illustrations, and cartoons positive
• Avoid discrimination
• Ensure gender-sensitive reporting
• Ensure sensitivity on child-related stories
• Ensure balanced and responsible coverage
• Ensure regular training on HIV and AIDS for media
• Adopt existing stylebook or guidelines on HIV and AIDS reportage
• For visual media - In addition to standards of sensitivity and ethics surrounding identities of those who are affected by HIV/AIDS, the document includes the following pointers:

1. Keep the camera away from focusing directly on the face of person/case study. Instead, shoot hands, feet, or back of the head.
2. Shoot in silhouette, keeping the camera behind the subject.


3. Since voice can also be an identifying factor, ask questions softly so that the replies are soft. In most cases, superimposition of subtitles should be used so that the audio does not need to be upped too much.


4. Do not show pictures of the family. These too can lead to identification of the person.


5. Try to keep the location of the shoot ambiguous. For instance, avoid naming the village.


6. Establish the concerned person’s journey through a third party’s voice whenever possible.


7. An interview should be a one-to-one chat that allows the person to speak. Ensure questions are not deeply personal or accusatory. It should not put the person on the defensive.


8. Hidden cameras should never be used.


9. Try to show people living with HIV in a positive light by portraying them as individuals instead of ‘victims’.


10. Wherever possible, obtain written consent.

The document includes in its appendices links to the codes and guidelines of other organisations, as well as human rights law, a sample consent form, and a "Do's and Don'ts" list for the media.

This document is available online and is also available via email as an MS Word document from Dr. Avnish Jolly at the contact address below.