AIDS education targets media
Last week it was management and workplace policies … and in its continuing efforts to reduce both the transmission and stigma and of AIDS, this week the National AIDS Commission brought in a key player: the media. At a one-day seminar at the Radisson, TV, radio, and newspaper journalists were today briefed on current communication strategies in place and discussed ways in which they can help spread the message on HIV. According to communication consultant and workshop facilitator, Dr. Rovin Deodat, the media has a vital role to play in fostering social change.
Dr. Rovin Deodat, Communication Consultant
?The media actually is the intermediary between information. Good information, sometimes life saving information, and the broader public out there. The radio, the newspaper, the television screens; they all should, and very often they do carry information that will cause people to be able to think about better ways of living in terms of healthy living, better way of doing things. I know often when we think of media we think of entertainment only, but they do have the other responsibility of information and education as well.?
?We looked at various ways in which the messages or communication products can be delivered to the public. And then we had a useful group session where participants actually sat down, took priority areas and priority target groups in the communication strategies and started to work on specific programme ideas for radio, for television, for newspaper and also starting to note the kind of resources and the kind of skills they would require to work properly in these areas.?
And now that the priority areas and strategies have been discussed, both Dr. Deodat and the programmes and communications officer at the National AIDS Commission, Gabriel Carrillo, hope that the dialogue will not end with today’s seminar, but that both parties will commit to a continuous and productive relationship.
Dr. Rovin Deodat
?My hope isthis is the start of a process between the media communication fraternity in Belize with N.A.C. A relationship that will blossom into partnership, where both sides will be working on the same goals: that is to lessen and hopefully eliminate HIV/AIDS in Belize.?
Gabriel Carillo, Programs and Communication Officer, N.A.C.
?We knew that the media was the key conduit for information dissemination in Belize and so we had to have this workshop today to have you all dialogue as to what you are able to do and what you can commit yourselves in doing to assist Belize in the fight against HIV and AIDS.?
