Action Toolkit For: HIV & Human Rights Advocates
Topic: Media & messaging
Take action! Tell your story. Persuade. Correct misinformation. Inspire. Inform. Be visible. Develop talking points. Strategise. Engage. Amplify.
Mainstream reporting on HIV criminalisation can be sensational and stigmatising. Headlines, images and language can increase the notoriety of specific defendants, and can further stigmatise individuals who are already members of marginalised groups. At the same time, various forms of media are critical for getting your messages across to a wide audience and for putting pressure on the targets of your campaign.
Making Media Work for HIV Justice: An introduction to media engagement for advocates opposing HIV criminalisation equips grassroots advocates to respond to the media and demystifies the practice of working with, and through, media to change the conversation around HIV criminalisation.
Pay particular attention to the action-oriented information, case studies and tools in the “What can we do?” section.
These links should take you directly to those sections, if not, we have provided the relevant page numbers.
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Making media work for HIV Justice: An introduction to media engagement for advocates opposing HIV criminalisation (full version)
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Do no harm (pages 17–24)
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Get the message right (pages 24–33)
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Gather comrades, allies, accomplices (pages 33–34)
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Use your tools (pages 37–40; 43–48)
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Watch your language (pages 49–51)
Action: Make a plan
Action: Learn from other HIV criminalisation activists
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Making media work for HIV justice: A community webinar (PWN 2018 1hr. 30 min. video)
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Media strategy in HIV criminalization reform campaigns (After HIV Is Not A Crime III webinar series, 2018 1 hr. 23 min. video)
to activate subtitles in your preferred language:
> click on settings ⚙️ at the bottom right corner of the video
> select “Auto Translate”
> chose your preferred language
Action: Share these tips with journalists
Action: Use the correct terms
Action: Centre survivor stories & the leadership of people living with HIV
Those directly affected by HIV criminalisation are powerful and authentic voices to centre in HIV criminalisation messaging and advocacy.
- It can be difficult and risky to share your own story and experiences. Be selective about the details you want to share and ensure that you have support.
- Support and protect people living with HIV who speak out.
Country-specific media guides
Media tools, tips and tricks
Feedback
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