UNICEF, EU dole out aid – Public Eye

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Description: The article looks at HIV/AIDS and deals with a dimension that has not received sufficient coverage. The article is about targeted funding in which the key recipients are children and their families. The news item is about UNICEF and the European Union handing out grants to orphans and vulnerable children as part of an ongoing effort to alleviate poverty and to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS.

Analysis

Vulnerable children and orphans receive cash grants from international organisations in a bid to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty. This news item reports on the event and the issue.

The report looks at the issue of poverty, and takes cognisance of the family as a crucial support structure in health care and hence a critical target group in reaching vulnerable children, orphans and the poor. It assesses cash grants and refers to government programmes in Lesotho. Hence, the report covers an event and raises the issue of aid in relation to the beneficiaries.

It is a fair report as multiple sources are used including the primary beneficiary À“ a father of two children comments on the impact of grants.

Headlines

The heading is inappropriate as it conjures a negative attitude towards the grant system. The title does not reflect the sentiment of stakeholders in the story as well.

Language

The language is simple and easy to read. It is informative and covers the key aspects of the content concisely. The language is accessible but the headline is problematic by calling it “doleÀ conjures a negative perception À“ “doleÀ is a slang word used in the first world when social welfare grants go wrong and/or are abused by beneficiaries.

Sources

The story offers the views of donors, government and a recipient. In this sense the author ensures that a broad spectrum of views is enlisted. This is fundamental practice of good journalism. Sources were diverse and also represented people outside of current practise in which official voice prevails. This news item was thus well covered.

Having said this, and noting that multiple sources are used, the report ignores the gender dimension. All sources used are male. It appears that coverage of HIV/AIDS, in which women are most vulnerable, fails to take note of gender. This appears to be a general flaw in HIV/AIDS related coverage and much more work needs to done to ensure that journalists pay heed to a sector that is most vulnerable to this pandemic.

Story angle and perspective

The story explores funding channelled to assist HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. In this case the donors’ in question are UNICEF and the EU. While the perspective supports the donors’ agenda, it also provides insight in terms of the recipients’ views.

A theme explored in this news item is the family. A UNICEF spokesperson states that reports indicates cash transfers to families raises the family’s income and benefits children in several areas from nutrition, health and education. The story angle follows this thinking and the father of the family provides his view as a recipient.

The angle pursued does address a facet of this pandemic, children and families, and more coverage will provide greater depth to the impact of the pandemic on this group. The article is a useful catalyst for research in this area as well.

Placement and positioning

The story appears on page five and deserves the space and prominence it receives.

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