Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies
Volume 9, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 20-37

"AIDS assassins": Australian media's portrayal of HIV-Positive refugees who deliberately infect others (Article)

McKay F.H. , Thomas S.L. , Holland K. , Blood R.W. , Kneebone S.
  • a Primary Care Research Unit, School of Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Bldg. 1, 270 Ferntree Gully Rd., Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia
  • b Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
  • c Faculty of Arts and Design, The Australian Health News Research Collaboration, University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  • d Faculty of Arts and Design, The Australian Health News Research Collaboration, University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  • e Faculty of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

The media representations of refugees who are HIV-positive often revolve around criminal transmission cases. This study examines the approach the Australian mass media have taken toward the case of two men from refugee backgrounds and how this stigmatizing language is unhelpful in discussions of HIV. An extensive search of the Factiva database was undertaken for all newspaper articles in the major dailies that mentioned "HIV," "AIDS," and "refugee" between 2002 and 2008. Analysis was guided by several approaches to media analysis in an attempt to understand the representations of HIV-positive refugees. When analyzing the media articles of criminal cases relating to HIV we found that refugees who are HIV-positive were portrayed in a negative fashion, with the concept of "otherness" prominent throughout most newspaper media reports. Considering this is the main source of information for most people concerning HIV, this representation carries the potential to lead to further stigma and discrimination to both people living with HIV and refugees. © Crown copyright.

Author Keywords

Risk Stigma HIV Refugee Media representations

Index Keywords

immigration policy refugee Mass Media Australia Human immunodeficiency virus database acquired immune deficiency syndrome disease transmission risk assessment
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79952020523&doi=10.1080%2f15562948.2011.547824&partnerID=40&md5=b7687697dd4d832c607aafe6e8afd78a
DOI: 10.1080/15562948.2011.547824
ISSN: 15562948
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English