Interviewing HIV positive people

Interviews in journalism is one of the most important and critical activities in the process of gathering information. Both broadcasting and print media rely extensively on interviews to craft a good story that whit the appetite of the reader.

Interviewing people who are HIV positive or those living with AIDS poses an extra challenge to journalist who must adorn a cloak of sensitivity, while being able to break through the silence and taboo in many cultures of openly talking about sex. In Zimbabwe as well as many cultures, it is a taboo to discuss issues of sex and to name them explicitly. Certain words associated with sex such as virus and condoms do not exist in the Zimbabwean local languages. Worse still human private parts in an Africa context can not be freely and easily mentioned without infringing the taboos.

For a journalist to be recognised and to be respected has to be aware of the cultural factors that can compromise people being open with information which is salient for a good interview. Culture is a complex and contested phenomenon that can be defined in a multiplicity of ways. While it can be defined as “ordinary” , that is what people do at a given moment. However, on the other hand it can perceived as a “totality of life learnt across time and is transmitted from generation to generation”.

The complexity of culture can be experienced through the way people form and express their sense of identity. As a way of life, it is made up of norms and values which informs thought perceptions and behaviour.

In many cultures, because of gender roles women are less eager to speak openly, or honestly, about the “private”, and issues related to sex and sexual behaviour. When an interview takes place where both men and women are present, women will fall silent and leave the discussion to the men.

In an African context a good woman does not openly reveal her hurts, pain, sexual abuse, violence and denial of sexual rights. Such silence perpetuates the violation of women and other human rights.

Understanding gender role in journalism tells the whole story why women may tend to be silent or less forth coming during interviews which have to do with sex or HIV/AIDS. As a journalist knowing gender relations, culture and social traits that underpin the society your are informing, help all journalist to become better forearmed and understanding “what is to be said”.

Through interviews as a method of gathering news information and understanding the complexities of important issues, journalist may begin to uncover the stories of everyday efforts by women and men who make small decision to protect themselves but come up against obstacles.

In Zimbabwe, several workshops have been conducted to educate journalist to be guided by media ethics in their day to day business. Among the issues that the media associations have been reminding journalists is that they should tell the truth, respect the individuals, protect the source, report objectively and give their audience the right to respond.

For more information you can email Masuku at masuku.caven@gmail.com or at sukuman08@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook has turned up the heat on Google

This is one of the good news that the BBC technology reporter, Maggie Shiels said about the brilliant effort that facebook have made as compared to Google as a search engine in the entire world.
“Facebook has turned up the heat on Google by purchasing content-sharing service FriendFeed, say industry watchers”, said Maggie Shiels
In addition, Shiels said that, “ many expected Google or even Twitter to buy the company, which has been praised for its "real-time" search engine”. Facebook at the moment is the only website which is friendly user and with multiple task that can be completed at one goal. The research conducted in America indicated that , the current American President Barak Obama used facebook extensively for his campaign.
This type of search is valuable because it lets you know what is happening right now on any given subject.
"Google look out, Facebook knows the real money is in real-time search," said respected blogger Robert Scoble. Facebook aprt from other activities that it provides is an excellent social networking website that links individuals across the globe. The issue of globalisation that creates cultural imperialism is largely perpetuated by the facebook. The good thing about facebook is that it creates the “public sphere”, where people from different geographical areas , with different culture can establish, repair and maintain their rapport said Nokuthula Makotsi. Most people especially in the entire world can link up with old friends and relatives through facebook.
The BBC quoted Mr Schoble who said that,"Google is the king of regular search. Friend Feed is the king of real-time search. This makes the coming battle over this issue much more interesting," Many people consulted by Caven masuku, especially the information technology expert agrees with Schoble.
The reliable sources also indicates that Back in May, Google founder Larry Page admitted that the search giant had fallen behind other services like that of Twitter, which boasts nearly 45 million users worldwide. Lary Page was quoted from BBC saying that,"People really want to do stuff real time and I think they (Twitter) have done a great job.
In addition, Page said that"We've done a relatively poor job of doing things that work on a per second basis," Mr Page said at the time. This probably indicated the improvement that facebook is making in serving its user

Exhibition

Exhibition is a good example of direct marketing that fosters reciprocity as the organisation can come at eye contact with the potential customers and discuss about their service delivery and products.

In communication dialogical model of communication is the most suitable and recommended by the communication's experts. Communication is a process of creating and exchanging meanings between or among individuals in order to reach a mutual understanding using agreed symbols. In marketing such communication is required for the better education to the customers about the new products.

Exhibition can be defined as “ direct, face to face medium. Here one can meet past, present and prospective customers and talk, discuss products and services, ask and answer questions, negotiate, judge reactions and establish real, human relationship with them....”

In Zimbabwe there are several exhibition events such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which started in 1899 when the first Agricultural Show was staged by the Rhodesian Landowners and farmers Association. In 1960, after the Agricultural Show of 1899, the first Trade Fair on the present Zimbabwe International Exhibition centre was initiated.

In addition, we have the provincial agricultural shows such as “The Midlands Agricultural Show', “Harare Agricultural Show”, Zimbabwe National Art Gallary and so forth. All these activities and events are meant for exhibition. In Zimbabwe what seem to be lacking about the exhibitions are that there are taken lightly. Business people should plan which exhibition to attend and for what reasons in order to meet their organisational goals as well as their customer needs.

In all exhibition, there is need to take note of the visitors, who visits the stands of the exhibitors. Their names and the organisations they represents needs to be taken down and after the exhibition there is need to make some follow up. At ZITF international exhibitors and visitors come in number and yet at the end of the trade only few companies would manage to establish strong rapport with foreign visitors. All exhibitors from different companies need to be educated about the importance of getting new customers and boosting the sales by tracking the people who would have visited their stands.

What is need is to take the name of the person, his company that he represent and the contact details. After the event salesperson's should be given the list and tasked to make some follow up. Zimbabwe as a developing country are still lacking the skills of having experts or consultants who deals with exhibition education. For every activities or field there is need to develop experts who can produce knowledge that is good to take the business people elsewhere. The market ninch that most local business sector are failing to open is because of lack of suchj knowledge.

I future people should open up the consultancy companies that deals with exhibition in order to boost the economy of Zimbabwe. Such a person can be consulted by big organisations such as Bata Shoe Company, Zimbabwe Alloys, Hwange Mine, ZISCO Steel, Zimbabwe national Chamber of Commerce, Air Zimbabwe and so forth.

However, university such as Midlands State University (MSU), National University Science and Technology (NUST), University of Zimbabwe(UZ) and so forth should be among to consult such consultant to further their familiarity with the entire world. Public relation departments from tertiary institution such as Midlands State University should be in the lead to educate industry players about the importance of exhibitions. I wish to hear from those with better knowledge and ideas to contact me on masuku.caven@gmail.com or on 263 913210607

Defiant Berlusconi says ‘nothing to apologise for’

Reuters

“ROME. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said he had "nothing to apologise for" over the sex scandals surrounding him and did not fear blackmail, while boasting his support among Italians was at record highs.

The 72-year-old, whose reputation has been battered by often explicit disclosures about his womanising and parties with prostitutes, called people who spread such stories "anti-Italians who should be ashamed of themselves". There was no sign of remorse in Berlusconi’s pre-vacation news conference to present the successes of his first 14 months in office. He spared no praise for his role on the diplomatic stage, saying at one point he had shown a "touch of genius".

"Nobody can blackmail me and I have no skeletons in the closet. I have nothing to apologise for in my private life, not even to my family," he told reporters. Berlusconi’s wife Veronica Lario said in May she wanted a divorce over his relationship with a teenage girl from Naples who got a 6 000-euro necklace from him for her birthday.

That disclosure was soon superseded by stories of escorts spending the night at Berlusconi’s home and reports of intimate conversations secretly taped by one woman, Patrizia D’Addario, who was promised a European Parliament seat.” — Reuters

The above story can be best understood through the critical political economy of media which explains the impact of media ownership, control and manufactured consent. This story is quoted from the Reuters, which is from Britain. It is shocking if the story is true, why Italian newspapers, including Berlusconi's media did not cover the issue.

This probably explain the untruth, unfairness that global media have to certain individuals. This propably explains the five media filters that were mentioned by Herman and Chomsky in their book entitled, “Manufactured Consent”. It is amazing the way global media report their stories. Normally it is clear that meadi is oftenly used or muzzled by the dominant elite to save their interests. Sure if Berlusconi is involved in sex scandal as reported by “Reuters”, why are the media not exposing that to the Italians citizens and the globe at large.

Media across the globe be it public or privately owned, uses selective measures to avoid to cover stories that demeans the elite status quo.I wish to hear from others how they view this issues and will be very much happy if any who happens to read this story can email me on masuku.caven@gmail.com. I am a media practitioner who practised journalism for sometime and i am now a trainer. Once a journalist always a journalist.

The vulnerability of Women and men to HIV/AIDS

Socialization plays a vital role in educating men and women about the spread of HIV/AIDS. Gender stereotyping and power relations make women and men, girls and boys vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection.

In Zimbabwe my culture socials men to believe that having many partners is not wrong and that it is part and parcel of manhood. It has been researched and analyzed that men at times are shy to condoms, citing a loss of manliness as a reason for not practicing safer sex. In Africa and around the world, men’s prowess and his ability to produce many children are still seen as a sign of strength. Hence the attempt to prove manhood has caused Africa men to die from HIV/AIDS in many numbers.

In Zimbabwe poverty which is becoming more and more deep-rooted, with large pool of children who have lost parents to AIDS moving into urban cities, young boys too engage in sex work increasing their risk of contracting HIV.

The vulnerability of women and girls is locked into their lack of equality in resources, opportunity and voice through out societies to condemn men’s practice that jeopardize their lives. Women and girls powerlessness expose them to immense risk of HIV infection. Empowering women and a girl child is essential for reducing the vulnerability of HIV infection.

Many women world wide still lack control over their bodies and do not have the right to decide freely and responsibly matters related to their own sexuality. Infected women in Zimbabwe endure further forms of discrimination and less care as this is devoted to caring for the man if both are affected.

Gender violence which is caused by the unequal power relations and family politics between men and women, boys and girls exposes women and girls to rape and sexual abuse, making them vulnerable to HIV infection.

Our societies need to be structure in such a way that both sex males and females have equal chances to stand and defend their rights. Fostering the rights of community members lead to a health society with health relationship. A health society can improve its life style and production can be boosted as most of the time will be spend working instead of attending to the patience.

Journalist as Communicators of Health issues

Journalists are a good vehicle of communication about the health issues affecting the society. Communications is defined as the conveying of a message from one party to another through a medium. The media is one medium through which communications takes place.

HIV/AIDS is causing more damages than anticipated by the community members yet journalists are taking this issue lightly to communicate with the members of the society about it. Facts and figures are the main components of a journalist’s diet for producing and writing news, news analysis and feature stories. Editors and journalist often believe that putting together of facts and figures, with a few voices, is an exercise in objective reporting. Yet there is a lot that journalist should be doing to educate the masses and even opening an arena for discussion on the impact of HIV/AIDS.

In Zimbabwe and around the world what media people fail to grasp is their role as communicators. Researches conducted earlier reflect that the media communicates a variety of messages to various audiences who make up the reading or listening public.
When reporting about HIV/AIDS general in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, media people have to grasp the complex problems and limitations in typical media representations of gender, to understand that these are deeply embedded social practice and interpretations that can cause confusion to the community members.

Communicating gender requires journalists and other media practitioners to observe the ways people can be marginalised because of gender issues. Journalists when reporting on health issues have to consider the age, class, who gets coverage, from what perspective and through which lens.

Women have to be educated not to regard marriage as a shield against AIDS, but as one way through which AIDS can be contracted. HIV/AIDS has become a grim mixture in women’s live especially in Zimbabwe. Many families are suspicious when their sons and brothers dies and widows are frequently blamed and resented for surviving their husbands.

Media should be in the forefront to encourage women who are about to get married to insist on an HIV test before marriage.

Among Zimbabwean, when a male is infected he receives unconditional support from his family. Women, however, are always blamed. These are some of the issues that media should open a sphere of discussion about.

Muchena’s statement heckled

The process to educate people of Zimbabwe about the crafting of a new constitution started today in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe at Gweru Cathedral Hall. People came from all corners of Midlands to meet the representative for the constitution Senate Committee. This follows the Global Political Agreement that was signed by the three Zimbabwean political parties to form an inclusive government.

Among the members of parliament that were present included MP Ngwenya, Madubeko, Rutswara, Chebundo, Chikwinya, Chingwena and the Midlands Provincial governor Naison Matshaya. Dr Olivia Muchena one of the inclusive government ministers was among the senate committee that visited the city of Gweru.

The Midlands provincial governor Matshaya told the gathered crowd that Midlands’s Province participation in this constitution making process was important since this is the center of Zimbabwe with diverse culture and tribal groups. “People should take away emotions and start to focus on issues that will contribute to the crafting of the Zimbabwean Constitution”, he said.

Dr Muchena was jeered by the crowd when she said that “The British which is causing Zimbabwe problems have no constitution”. The crowd expressed their dissatisfaction by the minister’s speech by heckling her. However, the minister explained to the crowed that it was her party’s idea that relevant stakeholders representing the people of Zimbabwe and certain individuals have to be consulted in crafting a constitution. Muchena clarified certain issues which have to do with the global agreement and defined what the constitution is and meant to the people of Zimbabwe. She explained further the importance of the three fundamentals in the constitution and in the run of the country which among include the executive, legislation and judicial.

The Democratic United Front (DUF) member Tatenda Simukai Mombeyarara said that he had come all the way from Harare to participate under protest because the process for constitution crafting was not people driven. “l am participating under protest and NCA protested and refused to attend this process because they argued that this is a flaw”, said Mombeyarara. He added that the whole process was not just and the crafting of the constitution process is not people driven.

DUF as an organization fights for a constitution-making process which is democratic, participatory, and gender-balanced and people driven. It reverses the attacks by neoliberal, free market, capitalist and political authoritarian structures on ordinary people and democracy over the last two decades and enshrines as legally enforcement and funded the economic, social and political rights of working people and the poor.

The MDC-T representative Hon. Makuyana (Member of parliament) said that the constitution should include all ordinary Zimbabwean voice, which among include those in diasporas, students, arts and culture, human rights and so forth . Makuyana told the crowd that Zimbabwe should initiate a constitution which will prolong without amendments. He also said that soil is for us all and no one even a single family liberated this country. Makuyana added that July has been set aside as a month to talk and teach people about the constitution crafting. In November 2009, stakeholders committee will meet in Harare to discuss about the views paused by the people in all provinces of the country. The whole process that stretches up to next year will have to make sure that by October 2010 the New Constitution of Zimbabwe will be effective and enacted to govern the country