The magazine POZ created by, for and about the HIV+ community, has created a new and innovative approach to publishing online with its'roster HIV Blogs, including one by the Editor-in-Chief, Regan Hofmann. More and more, CEO's, editors, and other top level management-types are creating their own blogs (or, having someone else write a blog that has their name on it), and it's good to see this take off in a health-related field. However, the well-intentioned folks at POZ have made the classic public health (and beyond) blunder of not including enough voices (or, in this instance blogs) by people of color. Given the increasing impact of HIV on communities of color, and particularly women in those communities, it's shocking that of the HIV Blogs listed at POZ, only one is by a woman of color.
3 comments:
According to the NIAID, AFrican - American women and Hispanic women make up more than 79% of AIDs cases of women.And since the HIV rate in women is increasing so quickly that it may soon surpass the rate of men infected, why aren't more of their voices heard? I wonder if they were intentionally excluded or did they simply not receive as many blogs from these women. They really should make a concerted effort to include more of their stories so that when African-American and Hispanic women visit these sites, they will read stories that may be able to relate to. Many individuals like to see someone who is like them, someone they can relate to who will have them realize that that there are others out there like them who may have similar backgrounds and experiences. It's so important for them to include the voices and viewpoints from individuals of various cultural/ethnic backgrounds as well as both genders.
I believe the problem with poor representation of minorities in new media goes back to digital divide. Upon doing research for my lit. review, presently a large percentages of minorities still do not have access to the internet. With limited access these groups are less involved in creating websites, blogs and podcasts.
I do agree that there is an issue of access for those who are of lower income.And yes that digital divide is a factor. However, what's interesting is that the latest report of pewinternet.org has stated that younger women actually go on-line more than younger men and that African -American women(It stated 60%) go on-line more often than African American men(at 50%). And since HIV is rising significantly in these women one would expect that perhaps more of them would voice their opinions . Perhaps these women did not feel comfortable sharing these expriences. I do not know how they choose the blogs for POZ.
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