Journalists and broadcasters from across West Africa have voiced concern that vital health issues such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria are frequently neglected by newsrooms—only gaining traction during high-profile disease outbreaks like Ebola or Lassa fever.
This concern came to the fore during a dynamic session at the Breaking Down Barriers health journalism and civil society workshop held Monday in Lagos. The event was organized by the Thomson Reuters Foundation with support from the Global Fund.
Participants from broadcast, online, and print media lamented the media’s tendency to treat ongoing public health challenges as low-priority or “soft” news.
“If it’s not a sensational outbreak, health stories rarely make it to the top of the news rundown,” said Martha Okere, a reporter with Wazobia FM, Nigeria. “HIV, TB, and malaria stories are often sidelined unless there’s a scandal or a spike in deaths.”
The Inclusive Economies Correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Bukola Adebayo responded by encouraging journalists to reframe their approach—focusing on solutions journalism and human-interest storytelling to attract editorial interest.
“Newsrooms respond to compelling pitches. You need to demonstrate urgency, novelty, or human impact,” Adebayo said. “A community-led HIV outreach or a local group distributing malaria test kits can be powerful if the story is told well.”
She advised leveraging global health observances like World AIDS Day and World Malaria Day as timely news hooks, and acknowledged the challenges journalists face—particularly the stigma that often prevents individuals from speaking openly about their health conditions.
“It’s hard to find people willing to talk on the record about HIV or TB. The stigma remains high,” she noted. Still, she pointed to networks of people living with HIV and grassroots advocacy groups as valuable sources for ethical and impactful stories.
“Trust-building is essential. This is where collaboration between civil society organizations and the media becomes critical,” she added. “We need journalists who can represent these stories with dignity and accuracy.”
On pitching health stories to editors, Adebayo urged reporters to focus on relevance and real-life consequences: “You don’t always need a dramatic hook. If a woman is walking miles just to access TB treatment, that’s impact—that’s news.”
A reporter from Sierra Leone, Madina Kula echoed the call for a shift in editorial focus.
“People are dying quietly because we don’t raise our voices when there’s no outbreak,” she said.
The workshop will continue with collaborative sessions between journalists and civil society organizations, aimed at promoting human rights and equitable access to healthcare.
