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Virology research J 2017 Vol 1 Issue 2
July 26-27, 2017 | Vancouver, Canada
WORLD CONFERENCE ON STDs, STIs & HIV/AIDS
allied
academies
HIV stigmatization in Chinese media discourse and responses from people living with HIV in China
Chunbo Ren
Central Michigan University, USA
M
ass media plays a crucial role in influencing people’s
perceptions of certain illnesses and diseases, including
HIV/AIDS. Despite the positive role media play in reduce
stigma, literature also documented that media could
reinforce HIV stigma in media discourse. In China, serious HIV
stigmatization has been identified in newspaper coverage of
HIV/AIDS. We conducted two quantitative content analysis
studies to examine Chinese newspaper articles about HIV/
AIDS published in each of the eight Chinese news outlets one
week before and one week after World AIDS Day every other
year from 2000 to 2010. After the two studies, we conducted
study three to explore how people living with HIV (PLHIV) in
China responded to HIV stigmatization in media discourse.
Study one showed that Chinese media play two distinct roles
in HIV/AIDS reporting. On one hand, Chinese media played
an advocacy role by promoting anti-stigma efforts. Nearly
one out of every five of these news stories addressed HIV/
AIDS stigma by reporting stigma stories experienced by
PLWHA or by promoting anti-stigma efforts. One the other
hand, study one showed that nearly one out of every three
HIV/AIDS news stories contained either overtly or covertly
stigmatizing language. The content of these articles indicate
that the Chinese media frame HIV/AIDS in stigmatizing terms,
even when they discuss anti-stigma efforts. The journalists’
selection of metaphors, photos, and terminology serves to
further demonize the disease rather than disseminating
current medical knowledge about the transmission and
treatment of the disease. In addition to overtly stigmatizing
language, covertly stigmatizing content was present in more
than 10% of all articles included in the study.
Study two extends previous research by exploring how HIV
transmission was portrayed in Chinese media discourse,
particularly how the media framed HIV transmission for
people living with HIV (PLHIV) and affected groups. The
results suggest that Chinese newspaper articles label
PLHIV and stereotype certain social groups to reinforce an
“us versus them” dichotomy. Chinese media promote two
different views of PLHIV that are dependent on themanner in
which people contracted HIV. Individuals who contracted HIV
through socially acceptable means (e.g., blood transfusion)
were worthy of being featured. In contrast, individuals
who contracted HIV through socially unacceptable means
(e.g., intravenous drug use) were less likely to be identified
as individuals and were instead devalued as nondescript
members of a deviant and dangerous group. This dichotomy
reinforces HIV stigmatization and will mitigate China’s anti-
stigma efforts.
Study three is a continuation of the first two content
analysis studies. Given that it is unknown how PLHIV in
China responded to the media’s stigmatizing practice, our
study three, using a rare opportunity for access, interviewed
individuals living with HIV in China, and explored their
perspectives on HIV stigmatization in media. Perspectives
from PLHIV confirmed the notion that Chinese media tend
to reinforce the dichotomous relationship of
health moral
us and diseased immoral
them
. Specifically, this study
found that PLHIV reported that media stories about HIV/
AIDS tended to stereotype and overstate threats to the non
-affected population, caused PLHIV to curtail their ownmedia
consumption, and acted as barriers to seeking adequate
healthcare. Stigmatizing news stories may interfere with anti-
stigma efforts and creating barriers to better health policies
in China. Overall, the findings provide health communication
experts and anti-stigma advocates new evidence of HIV
stigmatization in the media context.
Speaker Biography
Ren teaches skills and lecture courses in public relations, including PR principles and
practices, PR research methods, PR writing, PR case studies and PR campaigns. He has
worked for 10 years in the PR industry, including five years at Weber Shandwick Beijing
serving as a senior consultant and later account supervisor for clients with a global
presence. His major clients included Pfizer, Bayer Healthcare, Merck, P&G, Novartis,
Nestle, BMS, L’Oreal, IKEA, Electrolux, Intel, Ericsson, Juniper Networks and NVIDIA.
His research concentration is health communication and mass media processes and
effects. His research has consistently focused on strategic health communication
approaches to prevent disease and reduce disease-related stigma, particularly HIV/
AIDS stigma.
e:
ren1c@cmich.edu