As media is a forefront to send powerful message on the risk of HIV/AIDS epidemic to the public nationwide, Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA) conducted a special Journalism Training Course on HIV/AIDS reporting for Cambodian journalists. The two-day course was done on 2-3 July, 2007 in cooperation with Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ), the country's leading media organization, at KHANA office.

The first-ever course was done for only print journalists selected from different areas such as provinces next to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam where HIV/AIDS is still challenging with the population daily life. The course aimed at:

• Increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS among print media so that they can help outreach messages of promoting of understanding and compassion for adults and children infected or affected by HIV; challenging misconceptions about vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men, drug users and entertainment service workers; and promoting reduction of stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV in the workplace, and community.
• Encouraging the print journalists to have more research into the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodia; finding out the challenge misconceptions about HIV/AIDS such as so-called "cures" and misinformation about methods of transmission; and focusing on how people, particularly young people and married women, can protect themselves from HIV.
• Guiding the print journalists to find the right news sources for their HIV/AIDS reporting. With the right sources, they can write stories more accurately on the challenge existing norms regarding gender equality, access to services, workplace policies and expansion of services in rural areas; examine and challenge the cultural perceptions about young people, women and other vulnerable groups that can affect their access to services and information; and examine the long term impact of the epidemic particularly in terms of OVC, the health and socio-economic needs of PLHA and the capacity and directions of the public health services. Also to understand the HIV/AIDS law and the right of PLHA.
• Bringing the journalist participants to visit four of KHANA's NGO partners in Phnom Penh to see what the partners are doing with home-based care, OVC, drug education and drug drop-in center.
• Additional informing the print journalists about KHANA's Media Award for them who write good articles about HIV/AIDS issues in Cambodia.

Speaking at the first session on "The Role of Newsroom to Encourage Reporters to Write News on HIV/AIDS", Mr. Pen Samitthy, Editor-in-Chief of Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, said reporters, especially those who are working in the provinces where citizens cannot get more clear information on HIV/AIDS, must file more stories on the issue besides hot news on politics and crimes. "Health issue, particularly HIV/AIDS, is really helpful news for our readers so that they can protect themselves from HIV transmission. Most of the stories on the current papers I have seen focus on politics and crimes," he said. Samitthy who is also CCJ president, also appealed both editors and field journalists to play their important role to promote health sector. "Journalists must file health stories rather than stories on minor crime like a 'thief steals a bicycle or a battery or even a chicken," he added.

In his session on "The Government Policy and Strategy in response to HIV/AIDS", His Excellency Dr. Teng Kunthy, Secretary General of the National AIDS Authority (NAA), said journalists are really the key people who actively help send powerful message on the issue nationwide. "Without media, it is really difficult for us to achieve our goal. Though HIV/AIDS prevalence across the country has been decreased to 0.9 percent among people between 15 and 49 years of age, we are not happy and through the media we hope that the prevalence might go to zero percent in the future," he said. He called on journalists to join with NAA for the national strategic plan for 2006-2010 to reach common goal in responding to HIV/AIDS.

In his closing remark, Dr. Oum Sopheap, KHANA Executive Director, said the journalists' attendance in the course was really important. "Media are like informative machines producing news and information. The medicines can outreach the products very fast," he said. Cambodia used to be notorious due to the Khmer Rouge killing fields in the world, he said, and reports often say AIDS is the second killer after the killing fields. "I hope that through their informative machines, media can bring Cambodia's reputation regarding to the success of HIV/AIDS prevention to the world. Through their informative and educational reports with clear solution, journalists could change people's behaviours and habits regarding HIV/AIDS," he added.

Twenty-eight journalists -- 15 of them from nine provinces and 13 others from Phnom Penh -- participated in the course. Editor-in-Chiefs, senior journalists, and HIV/AIDS specialists, including a PLHA, were also the course speakers and resource persons in different topics on "Role of Newsroom to Encourage Reporters to Write News on HIV/AIDS", "Media Importance in Responding to HIV/AIDS, "Experience in Reporting on HIV/AIDS", "Word and Language Use Regarding HIV/AIDS to Avoid Stigma and Discrimination", and "What PHLA Communities Need from Media?"

During the course, journalists also had a chance to visit KHANA's four NGO partners in Phnom Penh to see the real practices -- Income Generation for PLHA, Prevention and Vocational Training Center for OVC, Home- Based Care Activities, and Drug Community Awareness and Outreach Activities. The trips provided journalists to meet and talk to PLHA, OVC, former Drug Users,

KHANA is also planning to conduct another training course for both radio and TV reporters so that they can build up their skills and knowledge in reporting HIV/AIDS.