Dis-Articulating Ideological Norms in Jamaican HIV Reporting

The use of accurate terminology reflecting the reality of Jamaica's HIV situation is needed to dis/articulate existing social stigmas. This study explores whether Jamaican journalists predominantly use stereotypical language in HIV reporting. This quantitative case study used 14 predefined coding categories from PAHO's 2006 HIV-related Language Update - a Caribbean HIV-reporting media guide. This facilitated the use of content analysis to evaluate HIV-related stories before and after the publication of PAHO's HIV reporting guide in two time periods: January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005, and January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. Jamaican journalists predominantly used 10 socially and medically problematic HIV-related terms. Through the application of the framing and agenda-setting theories, this study notes that these terms diminish attention from HIV; are socially outdated strategies; and ostracize, stereotype, and disrespect people with HIV. By spotlighting news production, this study underscores that dis/articulating existing stereotypical HIV reporting norms and language use in the Jamaican press must involve future research into newsroom dynamics.