January 20, 2010

AIDS Activists React to Press Coverage of Online HIV Hoax

HIV activists and media experts are criticizing the coverage of an online hoax in which an allegedly HIV-positive woman claimed in a video to have intentionally transmitted the virus to more than 500 people, The Michigan Messenger reports. The woman, Jackie Braxton of Detroit, is actually HIV negative and was not charged for the hoax.

Bonnie Bucqueroux, retired director of the Victims and the Media Program at Michigan State University’s School of Journalism, questioned the media’s response to the YouTube video, which appeared January 14 on mediatakeout.com.

“The story…raises serious concerns about the mainstream media,” Bucqueroux said. “Their role as gatekeeper, vetting the facts before publication, is called into serious question in this case. Where are the comments from AIDS experts? Why is this published before we know the facts? There were plenty of red flags in the video that should have raised questions about its authenticity.”

Activists say the video and the subsequent media reaction created unnecessary panic.

“Jackie’s claims should have been immediately suspect to anyone with even a passing knowledge of HIV and syphilis,” said Don Sousie of the Michigan Positive Action Coalition. “Instead, her outrageous claims were taken at face value, with no critical questioning at all. This kind of media coverage is dangerous because it paints those of us with HIV as monsters bent on spreading the virus, without care or concern for others. This is yet another example of fear mongering surrounding HIV.”

Braxton told police she created the online video to raise AIDS awareness.

NEW! Scroll down to comment on this story.

Previous Comments:

Darren Mitton, Rome GA, 2010-01-21 14:38:58
Well, her motives are - transparent - to make anyone living with HIV look like a sociopathic monster. Of course, the media will eat that up and we will be the ones to suffer for it - I doubt it will be long before one of our representatives proposes cutting HIV funding thanks to this...

Carl Brooks, , 2010-01-21 13:14:16
I am appalled by the inaction taken by the mainstream media with regards to this visious hoax. They were all over the "ballonboy", but they didn't even vett this. That's for the expose. Let's hope it jogs some experts into commenting.

Bill, California, 2010-01-21 11:48:07
What can you expect from a media that is controlled by corporations??? Most media have now gone the way of "RAG SHEETS." Since the Supreme Court ruled that media outlets such as FOX News can LIE, the Free Press is NO MORE! Face it, WE THE PEOPLE don't exist as long as the Patriot Act exists. Since Obama continues renewing it, we may NEVER get our full Constitutional rights back. Yet, the govt is quick in taking rights which people are clueless about. FIGHT BACK! And jail the gal for lying.

Susan, , 2010-01-21 09:28:50
Wait. Am I hearing this right? Balloon Boy's father gets jail time for his hoax but this woman doesn't even get a slap on the wrist for a hoax of such serious subject matter which is hurtful to millions of people? Wow. What is this world coming to? Is reality TV actually now more important than HIV/AIDS?

Shawn Decker, Charlottesville, VA, 2010-01-20 18:18:32
Agree 100%. In modern times, getting a news story out fast has been a costly impulse in our associated press world. The HIV Hoax Lady's video was obviously flawed- a few simple Google searches would have stopped any legitimate news source from fanning the flames of terror. My response as someone living with HIV was to post an equally outrageous/silly video on my Poz blog. Because sometimes we have to laugh through the madness.