Public hygiene issues including AIDS are a concern of all society. In China, as information opens up, people are gradually becoming aware of AIDS. The public no longer fear talking about it. Instead, people would like to know more relevant information. Thus, questions like how journalists report AIDS, how the government publicizes hygiene information for AIDS or similar, how people infected with HIV face the media become more important to answer. HIV / AIDS Media Book, edited by Professor Li Xiguang from the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University and his team, is a practical instruction to guide journalists and officers on communication with people carrying HIV.
As an advanced education institution of the highest reputation in China, Tsinghua University always maintains a high concern about the realistic problems that China and the entire world face, and tends to find best solutions through its intelligence. It does the same for AIDS. From 2003, the researchers in Tsinghua University make use of theories and methods of discipline like social science, journalism, law and public management to participate in the prevention and treatment of AIDS in China. They have had great achievements in policy research, frontline investigation, cadre training, media training, trend analysis, project assessment, practical researches, legal consultancies etc. They have given long-term training to local leaders and journalists in Beijing, Henan, Yunnan and Anhui, with a total attendance of over 500 people. Professor Li Xiguang took the lead in carrying out media training in China on AIDS reports and information publicizing. He treats seriously the bias and fears towards AIDS from government officers to common people. The project is to stop discrimination and bias towards HIV carriers from reporting media on AIDS, such as in news headlines, languages, reporting perceptions, pictures and the layout of pages publicizing the information. These efforts gave birth to HIV / AIDS Media Book.
We can say that this is the first guidebook in China on how to report and publicize AIDS news and information correctly and without bias. In a simplified way, it teaches media workers, medical workers, government officers and HIV carriers to spread to the public through the media the theories, techniques and knowledge on AIDS prevention and treatment, as well as to maintain the rights of HIV carriers. The whole book is composed of 3 parts: how to cover and report AIDS; how to publicize AIDS information, how HIV carriers/patients face the media. At present, this book may be the first AIDS media instruction within and outside China which contains contents on how journalists report AIDS, how the government publicize AIDS information and how HIV carriers face the media. (By Ma Qingzhou)
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