What is left unsaid: Reporting the South African HIV epidemic - Tapa blanda

This publication is a multi-authored investigation into HIV reporting in South Africa, and combines journalism with research to present an analysis that is at once broad in its scope and focused on the important issues. What is left unsaid: Reporting the South African HIV epidemic is a collection of work produced by the fellows of the HIV/AIDS & the Media Project, started by Helen Struthers and Anton Harber in 2003. It contains a selection of the best journalism and research produced by the Media Project Fellows, which gives an important insight into the history and key issues of South African health politics and media reporting on HIV in the last decade. The texts range from in-depth quantitative and qualitative research documents to radio and television transcripts and candid interviews. The title's first section contains research and news reporting reflecting on how the media has reported HIV-related issues, while the second section consists of reporting on pertinent aspects of HIV: stigma, denial, disclosure; PMTCT; orphans and vulnerable children; abstinence and faithfulness; and traditional healers. Each half informs and elucidates the other and works to, as journalism should, shine a light on one the world's most pressing concerns, both at the grassroots and higher levels, and give a voice to those whose voices are often not heard against the din of political controversy that surrounds HIV.

Kristin Palitza is an award-winning independent journalist and editor with more than 15 years experience. The focus of her work is on political, humanitarian, health and environmental issues. She has been published in a wide range of national and international newspapers and magazines and has worked for media houses in Germany, the US and South Africa, where she currently lives. Samples of her work can be viewed at www.kristinpalitza.com. Natalie Ridgard has worked on the social aspects of HIV for a decade and currently consults for a range of NGOs and international organisations, working on issues including HIV and the media and migration health. She holds a BA in Cultural and Literary Studies, English Language and Literature (Hons) (UCT) and an MPhil in Sociology (Cantab). Ridgard's research interests include the politics of the science of HIV and HIV reporting in South Africa. In this regard, she has published several research articles and supervised the writing and publishing of a wealth of journalism. Ridgard coordinated the HIV/AIDS & the Media Project from 2004 to 2007 and 2009 to 2010. Helen Struthers is a director and co-founder of Anova Health Institute. From 2003 to 2009 she was a programme director for a large multi-disciplinary research programme funded by USAID and a member of the executive management team at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit. She continues to manage this USAID programme under the auspices of Anova. She holds a BA (Hons) (UCT) and MSc in Applied Mathematics (Wits). Struthers has published extensively on the medical and social aspects of HIV. She is currently reading for her PhD, pursuing her enduring research interest in masculinity and HIV, in particular men who have sex with men. Struthers is co-founder and co-director of the HIV/AIDS & the Media Project. Anton Harber is the Caxton Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He was the co-founder and co-editor of the Weekly Mail (now the Mail & Guardian), editor of both the first and second editions of The A-Z of South African Politics and an executive producer of the television series Ordinary People and Hard Copy. He is a director of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism, chair of BIG Media (Pty) Ltd and the Freedom of Expression Institute. A recipient of the Pringle Award for Press Freedom and the Missouri Medal of Honour, Harber writes columns in Business Day and Beeld and a blog at www.theharbinger.co.za. Harber is a co-director of the HIV/AIDS & the Media Project.