By Rachel Jones, Reporter for National Public Radio in Washington, DC
When I was asked to spend three weeks in Addis Ababa, training journalists who report on HIV/AIDS issues, two thoughts quickly came to mind.
First, I was amazed at my good fortune, returning to Africa so soon after my first trip in June of 2003. Last year, I flew to Accra on behalf of the U.S. State Department to spend a week working with 26 journalists at the U.S. Embassy there. This time, I would be going on behalf of Internews, an American organization that trains journalists in developing nations around the world. Internews was coordinating the workshop in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communications Programs, and the CDC's AIDS Resource Center (ARC) in Addis.
Having experienced West Africa, I now had the chance to learn about East African culture, in the only African country that had resisted colonial rule. The prospect was thrilling. But my second thought was sobering. My trip to Ethiopia would not be a carefree tourist excursion. Once again, I would be expected to bring useful information and training skills to journalists who are literally on the front lines of the battle against the spread of HIV. These reporters must interpret data about rates of infection, lack of resources, and numbers of deaths from AIDS-related illnesses that would make the average American gasp in horror.
Also, I would be conducting this journalism training in a nation with some of the highest poverty indicators in the world, where things like Internet access and reliable transportation are not the norm, and where even freedom of the press is not always assured. As my departure date drew nearer, I wondered, "Will I be able to offer anything useful to the journalists of Addis Ababa?"
Days before my scheduled return to Washington, D.C., I was pleased to say that the answer was "Yes." From the moment I met the group of 15 broadcast and print reporters at the ARC, I realized these were not cynical journalists who had grown weary of reporting on an epidemic with no clear end in sight. The men and women who took time away from their newsrooms to focus on their writing and reporting were eager to share information and to learn new ways to report on HIV/AIDS issues.
My main concern was making the training relevant to Ethiopia. I report on health and social policy issues for National Public Radio, a national news and information network based in Washington, DC, so the rules and regulations governing my reporting are obviously different. There would be no value in bringing a set of American standards and perceptions about HIV/AIDS and policy to Addis, and I was highly sensitive about this aspect of the training.
But my concerns quickly vanished. In any language, in any corner of the globe, the basics of good reporting are the same. We spent the first day discussing subjects like interviewing techniques, Internet researching for the best HIV/AIDS information, and how to develop an outline for feature stories related to HIV/AIDS. On the second day, journalists heard presentations from some of the best HIV/AIDS researchers in Ethiopia. The session was even more valuable because many upper level newsroom managers also attended. In my mind, this signaled a shift towards a greater commitment by news organizations to provide more nuanced coverage of HIV/AIDS issues.
Though our classroom discussions and exercises were beneficial, the most productive aspect of the training were our site visits, where journalists were expected to conduct interviews and develop features stories in a limited amount of time. The broadcast reporters visited the Enat House Orphanage, and the print reporters toured the Zewditu Voluntary Counseling and Testing Facility.
In my mind, these sites represented two of the most crucial battlegrounds in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS. Statistics in some African countries suggest that the numbers of children orphaned by AIDS-related illnesses have reached crisis levels. In Ethiopia alone, 1.2 million children have lost one or both parents, and many of them have contracted HIV themselves. At Enat House, the journalists were able to do more than just speculate on numbers. They got to observe and interact with the youngest, most innocent casualties in the battle, and the statistics became real in a way that no WHO report or government press release could communicate.
I was pleased to see several reporters, like young Netsanet Assaye of Pro Pride Radio and Meseret Hiwot of the Health Education Center, make instant connections with the Enat House orphans. Their professionalism was not threatened because they showed compassion for children who must confront death before they've barely had a chance to live. Meseret produced a moving profile of a young girl whose only outlet for her grief was drawing pictures in an empty classroom, while her peers laughed and played outside. Perhaps, at age 12, she was old enough to understand that the future was not promised to her.
Veteran reporter and Police Inspector Abebe Mulugueta proved that even years of experience can be enhanced by a bit more reporting. Though his name and voice are well known through his work on ETV and Police Radio, he was not too busy to return to Enat House for additional interviews with a little boy he had met during our site visit. That child's tragic story resulted in a workshop script that made several of his colleagues cry during his presentation.
Popular FM 97.1 radio host Dagmawi Tariku wasted no time making the children of Enat House regard him as a trusted friend. They squealed with laughter at his jokes and questions, and gathered around him to take turns interviewing each other with his equipment. I envied his skill, and was impressed by his eager participation in the training, though he has more broadcast experience than I do!
For the print reporters, the challenge was even greater. While interviewing children requires sensitivity, the prospect of talking to adults who have decided to learn their HIV status was even more daunting. It is an atmosphere potentially charged with fear, stress and anguish, and journalists must be constantly aware of the need for respect and confidentiality in that kind of setting.
But in my opinion, Voluntary Counseling and Testing is also the single most important tool in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Without sufficient testing, a government can only produce best-guess estimates of rates of infection. Without access to testing, HIV-positive individuals may continue to spread the disease indefinitely, putting those who are HIV-negative at tremendous risk. Journalists can play an important role in educating the public about VCT, to eliminate fears and misconceptions that may keep people from being tested.
The print journalists' goal was to interview the Zewditu VCT director, several counselors and other staff, and possibly a client. We surpassed those goals with a series of informative interviews that produced remarkable stories. Mesenbet Hailu, a talented young reporter for Tobia AmharicWeekly Newspaper, used his brief time at the clinic wisely by focusing on one senior counselor, and interviewing her at length. He produced a story that highlighted how HIV/AIDS has a greater impact on women, and noted that at Zewditu, women run the clinic and are most of the senior counselors. Even the lab technician is a woman. It was a wonderful opportunity to reinforce the message that women must lead the way in confronting the crisis.
Tamiru Gonche of the Walta Information Center was able to use his reporting skill and tact to find 3 individuals and a couple waiting to be tested, all of whom agreed to be interviewed. He produced a vivid study of what it's like to "wait your turn" at a VCT. One man, who has been HIV positive for 12 years, described the virus as his "best friend," one he talks to every day. These kinds of stories, in that kind of setting, are powerful tools a journalist can use to help ease the fear and isolating surround HIV/AIDS. And Betleheim Negash of The Amharic Reporter turned a routine informational story about VCT into an intriguing glimpse into the world of VCT.
The training produced many wonderful stories for newspaper and radio, but I believe the most valuable product was a changed perspective, for the reporters and for me. Several journalists said they were grateful for time away from deadline pressures, and a chance to focus on their craft and share insights with their colleagues. They also acknowledged the many obstacles in their path as they pursue their craft. One radio reporter, Hanim Eshake of Educational Media Agency, carried a large, heavy reel-to-reel recorder that required an electrical outlet to operate. It limited her range and ability to capture sound, but she still managed to find a young boy whose story symbolized the discrimination children with HIV must endure.
Watching Hanim struggle with technical difficulties made me offer a silent prayer of thanks for my10-ounce minidisk recorder I can carry in my pocket, and which operates on one AA battery for 4 hours. It made me grateful for the personal computer and phone line waiting for me back in Washington, DC, and the computer program that allows me to edit sound at my desk. It also filled me with an overwhelming sense of respect for the challenges my African journalism colleagues must overcome to report on HIV/AIDS, from the front lines of the epidemic. I left Addis with an even greater sense of good fortune, because I had learned more about courage, persistence and journalistic commitment from Ethiopian reporters than I would ever be able to teach.
**The training is organized in partnership with HAPCO, Internews, CCP and the AIDS Resource Center (ARC) funded by the CDC. **You may reach Rachel Jones by e-mail at: rljones@npr.org