Lara Bonilla wins the second edition of the Mediosysida Award for young journalists.

-Mediosysida recalls that Yet 36% of the information published on the pandemic in the State media, confused the terms HIV and AIDS

Mediosysida, 2011-October the II Mediosysida Award for young journalists has gone to the Diari Ara, Lara Bonilla, journalist for his piece Sóc seropositiu però no t ’ ho puc dir ” ( I am HIV-positive but not you) (I can say this ”). This award, pioneer in its kind in the Spanish State, was created in order to recognize and promote good journalistic practices that contribute to improving the social image of HIV and AIDS in the media. The second edition of the prize jury considered the winning piece addresses a topic that continues to be one of the major problems of HIV and AIDS: stigma and discrimination ”. The jury also stressed the plurality in the views of the news, as well as the naturalness in the use of non-discriminatory language combining spontaneity and expert language ”.

Has also been recognized with an honourable mention award to journalist Marc Serena by his story HIV and working ”, published in the magazine Lo+Positivo, which highlighted the great documentary task that makes this journalistic piece a very thorough job which also highlights a theme which is not always reflected in the media and in the economic times we are living takes on special relevance ”.

The Mediosysida Award for young journalists has the collaboration of the pharmaceutical company Gilead and is valued at $ 1,000. For its part, the second prize award has had this year a special significance as it has been accompanied by a work of the artist Néstor yards, died of AIDS in 2009, ceded by the brother of this Argentine artist who lived his artistic maturity among Barcelona-Menorca. The awards ceremony was conducted by Tomás Hernández, Secretary of the Plan national of AIDS, the Ministry of health, and Judith Cobeña, HIV activist and member of REDVIH. The Act also attended Albert Giménez, Director of the programme for prevention and assistance of the AIDS (PPAS) of the Generalitat de Catalunya, as well as other personalities related to the field of HIV.

Since the first study produced by Mediosysida in 2006 about the treatment of HIV and AIDS in the media in Spain this project continues to work with young journalists and future professionals of the communication in order to improve the social image of HIV through information published in the media. The Coordinator of the project, Maria Urrero, explains that is important to place particular emphasis on the young professionals of the communication, as we have the opportunity to promote, through them, good practices in newspaper so that, in some ways, this serves to improve the social image of HIV and AIDS ”.

Decreases the discriminatory language

Mediosysida recalls, met 30 years of the pandemic, still it continues confusing terminology of HIV and AIDS in the Spanish press. In addition, when we talk about AIDS, continues stigmatizing people and linking them with some vulnerable groups. Despite this, the use of discriminatory language in the media tends to decrease and thus shows the latest survey the treatment of HIV/AIDS in the media Spanish writings (2009-2010) ”, developed by the Institute of the communication of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (InCom-UAB) at the request of Mediosysida.

It remains however, detecting the Synecdoche AIDS HIV ”, i.e., the misuse of the term AIDS want to talk about HIV. Although this impropriety has declined from 48% to 36% on the previous report, some of the main Spanish media are still incurring this error. The report as a possible cause of this confusion is the fact that the term AIDS is considered more attractive journalistically and therefore more efficient regardless of whether used with property, given that AIDS is not the same as HIV ”.

The second edition of the Mediosysida award jury was formed by the journalist for El País, Emilio Benito; the journalist from the international network of journalists with a vision of gender and Deputy Director of the Agency, the Independent, Tona Gusi; Professor of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and director of the Institut of communication (InCom), José Luis Terrón, and activist and member of the community network on HIV / AIDS in the State Spanish (REDVIH), Judith Cobeña.

About Mediosysida

Mediosysida.org is a project of REDVIH working to change the social image of HIV in the Spanish media, being a meeting point between the HIV/AIDS NGOs and professionals of information Mediosysida is subsidized by the Ministry of health, Social Affairs and equality, Ajuntament de BarcelonaMerck and Gilead.