Media Should Also “Help” AIDS-Impacted Orphans

出自香港新聞網 - 樹仁新傳系學生實習習作

29-11-2006 10:15 045005 黃頌雅 WONG, CHUNG NGA

TO Chung, the Outstanding Young Man in the World and the Chairman of Chi Heng Foundation hoped AIDS-impacted orphans could be concerned by the world via mass media.

It is all-known that AIDS, a fatal disease, spread rapidly in some places in Central and Southwest of China, especially Henan and Yunnan. In Henan, more than 40% of people are AIDS victim. Due to poverty, peasants need to sell their blood and infect HIV by syringe. It is probably that only a child in three generations of a family can be survived and becomes an orphan.

TO encouraged mass media should be focus on rescue work, but not only report the occurrence and the situation of the disaster. This let the public know how to help the victims. He understands that some media had no interest on the former because it had no news value as they thought news value is equal to controversy.

Some media even exaggerate the fact and cheat readers. "Some media give AIDS victims a bad name and make the public discriminate them. For example, some media claimed the victims would use syringe to stab for retaliation, some claimed there was HIV-contaminated blood inside watermelon and make the public was afraid to buy," he disbelieved these were the truth -- how watermelons have blood insides?

TO urged that it is urgent to help those AIDS-impacted orphans by giving them care and education as they have potential to contribute to the country in the future.