Award winners
The
Thomson Foundation announces the winners of the 'Reporting
HIV/AIDS- EU-India Media Awards 2005'. The Media Manual
on HIV/AIDS, India, 2005 was used as the backgrounder
while selecting the awardees.
The prime intention behind this was to recognize excellence
in the reporting of HIV/AIDS in India and seek to further
the best practices enumerated in the Manual because
nurturing of individual initiatives in reporting about HIV/AIDS
will go a long way in creating a more aware and informed citizenry
for tomorrow.
Six journalists have been felicitated
under this scheme at the Commonwealth Broadcast Association's
international conference on 17th February; 2006. Two
awardees each from television, radio and print respectively
were selected, thereby rewarding the representatives of the
most widespread communication chains. The awardees will get
the opportunity to travel to Europe and experience first-hand
the working of a European institution/organisation in the
field of HIV/AIDS and thus, through personal interactions
and convergence of knowledge, further their professional awareness
about HIV/AIDS.
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Rear Row (left to right)- Jacob John (INP+), Atal Sharma
(AIR Rajkot), Mimmy Jain (consultant, The Thomson Foundation),
Gareth Price (former Director of The Thomson Foundation),
Janet Boston (Director of The Thomson Foundation), Savyasaachi
Jain (Project Editor, The Thomson Foundation), R.K.
Robindro Singh (Doordarshan Kendra, Imphal)Front Row-
Khorrum Omer, Archana Prasad (AIR Lucknow), Narjis Husain
(HT Media Ltd.), Akoijam Sunita (Imphal Free Press),
Prerna Sharma (Doordarshan Delhi) |
List of Winners
TELEVISION
1. Mr Raj Kumar Robindro Singh, Doordarshan Kendra Imphal,
for
‘Lite Thy Lite’. A deeply personal
look at a VCCTC through the eyes of an HIV+ counselor, this
short film is outstanding in its impact and sensitivity.
2. Ms Prerna Sharma, Doordarshan Delhi, for ‘If
Only’
An extremely positive depiction of the reality of HIV/AIDS.
RADIO
1. Ms Atal Sharma, AIR Rajkot, for ‘Listen,
Learn, Live’. An interesting programme that juxtaposes
two HIV+ couples, one that’s declared itself and the other
that chooses to keep its medical status a secret
2. Ms Archana Prasad, AIR Lucknow, for ‘Prayas’.
A meticulous effort of studying the problems of HIV/AIDS
in India in its entirety.
PRINT
1. Ms Akoijam Sunita, Imphal Free Press, for ‘Who
Will Keep the Promise?’. An adept attempt to examine
the role of good governance in the prevention and treatment
of HIV/AIDS.
2. Ms Narjis Husain, HT Media Ltd, for ‘Treatment
from the Right Doctor’. A praiseworthy effort to
bring HIV/AIDS issues regularly into the mainstream vernacular
media.
2005 AWARD RECIPIENTS AND THEIR STUDY
TOUR TO THE U.K.
The recipients of the Reporting HIV/AIDS Awards went on a
study trip to the UK from Sept 18 to
September 22, 2006. They visited a number of organisations
working on HIV/AIDS and related issues. Organisations visited
on the study trip:
• Department of Health
• Terrence Higgins Trust
• UK Coalition of People Living with HIV/AIDS
• Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
• Department for International Development
• Crusaid’s conference on HIV and Poverty
• International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
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Award
winners outside the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine during their study tour.
(L-R): Atal Sharma, R K Robindro, Narjis Husain, Sunita
Akoijam, Savyasaachi Jain, Prerna Sharma, Archana Prasad |
At
the gates of Buckingham Palace
(L-R): Archana Prasad, Atal Sharma, Prerna Sharma, Anna
Roberts (Head of Training, The Thomson Foundation),
R K Robindro, Mimmy Jain, Akoijam Sunita, Narjis Husain |
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Award
winners at the office of the International Community
of Women Living with HIVAIDS |
Award
winners at the offices of DFID in London |
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Award
winners at the offices of the UK Coalition of People
Living with HIV/AIDS |
Three
of the award winners (centre) at a working group on
HIV and Poverty at a conference organised by Crusaid
in London |
From the award winners:
What I liked about these interactions was that these experts,
without wasting much time on unnecessary introductions, came
straight to the point and explained their positions with great
lucidity. They explained the aims, methods of working and
objectives of their organizations and replied to our questions
patiently. They focussed on giving us as much information
as possible in a small period of time and they also tried
to learn about India by interacting with us. I found my knowledge
substantially updated after the completion of the study tour.
My understanding, my grasp and my interest was further deepened
in issues relating to HIV/AIDS as a result of this tour. This
tour helped me in becoming more focussed in this area. Thank
you, EU and Thomson Foundation.
Narjis Husain
I discovered that, like India, majority of media, especially
print media, in U.K also, does not play a very constructive
role & projects stereotypes and negative image of PLWHA.
We saw some clippings of Newspapers in which words like
‘monster’ & ‘devil’ were used while covering criminal
prosecution for HIV transmission. I was not aware of terms
like ‘reckless transmission’ & ‘deliberate transmission’
of HIV, as in India such legal complexities associated with
HIV/AIDS is unheard of. From choices & challenges before
policy makers, strategies & statistics of HIV/AIDS,
new development & research work in the medical/treatment
field, an overview of problems faced by people living with
HIV/AIDS in the U.K, to information about different organizations
providing support & care services to PLWHA, we got exposure
to all these, and much more.
Atal Sharma
My visit to different organisations and knowing their field
of activities, their approach to HIV/AIDS, their perspective
and their plan for the future has broadened my vision regarding
new and better ways of tackling this problem through radio
broadcasts. The study trip has opened up new horizons and
I can play a more positive role in creating awareness about
HIV/AIDS and informing my listeners.
Archana Prasad
The tour added new horizons and dimensions to my life and
my understanding of HIV/AIDS. It certainly provided me with
surprises, new thoughts, broader outlook and a great exposure
in the world of HIV/AIDS.My approach towards HIV/AIDS was
rather emotional than rational but every session of the
tour unveiled the misconception that I know enough about
HIV/AIDS. Though HIV/AIDS is same everywhere but the perception
and strategies adopted to deal with the issue is totally
different across the globe. The very fact that PLWHAs can
be charged and punished in U.K, if they deliberately made
somebody HIV positive, made me surprised. They say if PLWHAs
can demand for their rights they should also understand
their responsibilities and duties as citizens.Finally in
the end of this study tour I realized it is not the end.
Instead, it was a beginning of new ideas and new thoughts
on the issue of HIV/AIDS. I will use my knowledge in my
programmes and being a public broadcaster they will help
my organization and our target audiences.
Prerna Sharma
The programme also reaffirmed that the dimensions of HIV/AIDS
differ from place to place and according to their socio-cultural
and religious backgrounds. The experience is rather unique
as I found out that the MSM and African Communities were
chiefly considered for the focus group prevention HIV/AIDS
in UK. The rate of transmission of the virus amongst IDUs
is believed to be decrease with the proper understanding
and implementation of Harm Reduction. The great importance
while designing programme was given to MSM and African communities.I
would say that I have certainly achieved what I wanted to
learn, the scenario of HIV/AIDS in the UK. The rare and
important opportunity to interact with persons working in
the HIV/AIDS issues in the UK has given me their perspectives
to get an overview of the issue.
R K Robindro
Coming back to India, I would like to make a feeble attempt
at comparing HIV/AIDS in the UK and India in general and
Manipur in particular. There are lots that India can learn
from the UK in their approach and dealing with the issue
of HIV/AIDS. They are now in the stage of addressing human
rights violations within context of HIV/AIDS. The stigma
and discrimination was also of a different nature in the
UK. Being open about one’s sexuality and sexual orientation,
infection through sexual route is considered a ‘better way
of getting infected’ than injecting drug. One interesting
and alarming fact was the general attitude of the people
that HIV/AIDS happen only among the MSM and Black communities.
In spite of all the progress and development, one gets easily
disturbed at seeing the gap between the infected and affected
population and the media. For the British media, HIV/AIDS
is still a sensational story and the negligible reportage
on the issue is, to say the least, negative. The power of
media has not been used effectively. Issues and priorities
are different, so there is a world of difference in the
story of HIV/AIDS in the UK and India. The tour was very
well-organized and enriching. We got to learn many new aspects
of the epidemic and fortunately we got to share some stories
that were still unheard in the developed world.
Akoijam Sunita
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