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Media Influence
The power of the media has always been evident, and the same principles hold true for Onondaga County. The major newspaper publication in Syracuse is The Post Standard.
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The archives were searched for the past two years. The term HIV/AIDS was evident in 111 articles (5). Selections of 30 articles were sorted by topics that included: Local Awareness on AIDS, Fundraisers to HIV/AIDS patients, and AIDS in Africa. Out of the 30 articles, 19 dealt with the local awareness of the AIDS epidemic. Some local awareness articles dealt with the simple act of getting people aware of AIDS in their community. Three in particular contained headlines with free HIV testing as the topic (6-8). These HIV articles also were all in the local section, on the first page, which suggest that the issue is important. Other issues covered under this category included memorial services to those who were victims of the AIDS epidemic. One noteworthy article stood out because it made the front page of The Post Standard (9). The article dealt with a group called AIDS Community Resources that provided a variety of sources including public outreach. Though the terms HIV or AIDS aren’t directly in the headline, the fact that it was front page news guarantees that the general public saw it. Five out of the 19 articles dealt with similar services, such as World AIDS Day and the AIDS stigma (10-13). Six articles out of the original 30 dealt with fundraisers to help gain money for treatment, support groups and activities of that nature. A popular fundraiser that was mentioned was the AIDS Walk. Not only is the event well attended (14) and a great fundraiser for the community but it also holds special meaning for me because my sister participates in this event. This means that I’ve been aware of the AIDS issue for quite some time especially considering the fact that my sibling has been an active participant in the fight against AIDS. The remaining fundraiser articles cover other walk/runs and mall fundraisers (15-19). The last remaining five articles out of the 30 cover AIDS in Africa (20-24). While 5 articles still prove the topic’s presence, it is evident that The Post Standard places a stronger emphasis on our own community’s relation to AIDS. Perhaps I guessed high because the newspaper produces numerous articles concerning AIDS in my hometown as opposed to in Africa. This fact, combined with my high school experience would definitely alter my opinion to view AIDS as a strong domestic issue.