J 301F Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Innocent Victims, Media Play, Magic Johnson
11/10/16
Framing the AIDS Epidemic
• Given the significant role media play in conveying medical information, most of what people know about
AIDS is derived from the media.
A Short History of AIDS
• Emerged as a health threat in American society in 1981.
• Portrayed by media, religious leaders, and even politicians as the consequence of the transgressive
behavior of homosexual men.
• It was believed that the newly emerging disease was a result of the homosexual lifestyle.
• Two other risk groups, intravenous drug uses and Haitians, were later identified, along with hemophiliacs,
ho ere ko as the first ioet itis of AIDS.
• The AIDS panic began to spread once it was suggested that the disease was not limited to the
aforementioned risk groups but was a nondiscriminatory disease that could infect anyone in the general
population.
• B the earl 99s, AID“ as osidered the outr’s ost urget health prole.
Transmitting AIDS
• AIDS is the collection of symptoms and infections linked to the most severe and advanced stages of HIV.
• The exchange of bodily fluids is necessary for the transmission of the virus, which may progress to AIDS.
• There is no identifiable demographic of people who are more at risk than any other due to their specific
demographic categorization.
Framing AIDS
• Fraig is a eerise of poer, partiularl as it affets people’s uderstadig of edia’s posture ad
their relationship with the social and political world.
• Media framing is a socialization strategy that has powerful implications for the way people react and act
toward social issues and events.
• Media frames affect the way one understands and perceives social reality.
• The frame only allows an observer to focus on and ultimately see what is purposefully selected and shown
within its boundaries. The observer may then assume that whatever is hidden from view is of little
importance or value.
• Mass edia’s depitio of AID“ ifluees the a soiet reats ad respods to iforatio aout the
disease and to those who have contracted it.
• Media plaed a piotal role i shapig people’s pereptios of those ho ere HIV-positive and those
who acquired AIDS by locating the disease in the deviant and mysterious homosexual lifestyle.
• AIDS coverage has historically fallen within the frames of:
o Victimization
o Deviance and abnormality
o Blame attribution
o Power of modern medicine to develop a miracle cure
Early Coverage
• HIV/AIDS became a significant sociopolitical issue in the early 1980s.
• Mainstream media took its cues from the political leadership, whose first response was an attempt to
regulate ga e’s seual ehaiors ad to contain the disease.
• There was little government effort and support offered to provide educational and preventive services.
• AIDS was generally was viewed as a disease of homosexuals who, because of their perverse and immoral
lifestyle, were responsible for their own illness.
• The gay press covered AIDS when mainstream media refused and played a pivotal role in publicizing the
devastating effects of the disease on the community.
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Document Summary
Framing the aids epidemic: given the significant role media play in conveying medical information, most of what people know about. Emerged as a health threat in american society in 1981. Portrayed by media, religious leaders, and even politicians as the consequence of the transgressive behavior of homosexual men. It was believed that the newly emerging disease was a result of the homosexual lifestyle. Two other risk groups, intravenous drug uses and haitians, were later identified, along with hemophiliacs, (cid:449)ho (cid:449)ere k(cid:374)o(cid:449)(cid:374) as the first (cid:862)i(cid:374)(cid:374)o(cid:272)e(cid:374)t (cid:448)i(cid:272)ti(cid:373)s(cid:863) of aids. Transmitting aids: aids is the collection of symptoms and infections linked to the most severe and advanced stages of hiv. The exchange of bodily fluids is necessary for the transmission of the virus, which may progress to aids. There is no identifiable demographic of people who are more at risk than any other due to their specific demographic categorization.
