The view that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately Essay

The view that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately explain the complexities within the news reporting of AIDS in Britain. Discuss - Essay Example African countries are affected by real epidemic, and the epicenter of the world most dangerous disease is located in Sahara Desert region where a half of population of the world is living at the moment. This information does not seem shocking for anyone in the world anymore because AIDS was covered in media substantially and effectively since the time of its discovery. It is well-known that a frightening and repulsive image of AIDS was created with the help of accurate metaphors and definitions (Cullen, 2003). Nevertheless, the question if the image of AIDS was constructed adequately to the severity of the epidemic or media has spread certain panic among readers remains actual and urgent, and Britain represents a particular interest for this study because real epidemic has never reached the island. The UK as well as many other countries of the world faces the complexities within the news reporting of AIDS, and the fact that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately explain th em. In order to examine this question newsroom practices in Britain on reporting were studies closely. First of all it is necessary to outline the history of the disease, its symptoms and consequences to understand how media should cover AIDS/HIV to create normal feedback from its auditory. UNESCO states that media as well as medical institutions and common people have to aim to reduce the quantity of people contracting HIV and relieve moral and physical pressure of those who are fighting with the disease. This is an established ethical principle when dealing with HIV and AIDS (Foreman, 2003). The first reporting of AIDS by media goes back to 1982 when several alarming articles were published in different American medical journals telling about this unknown mysterious disease. Much concern was expressed about it already due to high mortality of young healthy individuals and it was defined as threating and dangerous for public. But nobody could even imagine the degree of panic the