Media Campaign > Report on the First Mass Media Campaign, EC HIV Prevention Project

June-July 2002

The British Council in Ukraine in the framework of the EC HIV Prevention Project held the first Information Campaign in June- July 2002. It was and is aimed at raising awareness level of Ukrainian population, youth and adolescents in particular, about HIV/AIDS epidemic and ways to prevent transmission. The motto of the campaign is "AIDS Can Affect Anyone".

The campaign was held simultaneously in different directions with maximum involvement from governmental, non-governmental, international organisations and mass media. To support the campaign letters from the cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine were sent to the Ministry of Health Protection, the state Committee for Information, and all oblast administrations with the resolution "I ask you to provide support and help in implementing the media -campaign on HIV/AIDS".

1. The campaign has been launched on June 1, 2002, with direct broadcasting of a 1 hour interview on Liberty Radio, where Serhiy Filippovych, Secretary of the Governmental Committee on HIV/AIDS, and Liliya Skotarenko, EC Project Coordinator, answered questions from the public.
2. During the campaign, 5 special issues of "Ukraine and AIDS" bulletin came out. They were devoted to the following topics: HIV/AIDS and Children; Role of Mass Media in Epidemic Prevention; HIV/AIDS and Healthcare; HIV/AIDS and Young People; and Prevention of HIV Transmission during Summer Vacations Time.
3. There have been 120 billboards produced, with 43 billboards placed in Kyiv (10 items) and pilot oblasts (33 items) where the project is implemented.
4. There have been 16000 posters produced with three different messages, in three sizes (A1, A2, A3). They have been distributed throughout Ukraine via Oblast Coordinators and the Ukrainian Centre of Social Services for Youth. The posters are aimed at condom usage normalization, they are all united by a stamp with the motto "AIDS affects everyone" and each one in particular have their own informative message :"Love making love safely", "Choose the colour of your safety", and "We have protected ourselves, what about you?"
5. General Information Booklet has been produced (400 000 items, in Ukrainian and Russian). It has been distributed via Oblast Coordinators and the Ukrainian Centre of Social Services for Youth (12 000). Eleven more different booklets and leaflets are being published for the use during next campaign.
6. Held press clubs of the Ukrainian Market Reform Educational Programme on Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. The press clubs took place in Kyiv (Veena Lakhumalani, Liliya Skotarenko and Liubov Batih participated on behalf of the project), Kharkiv, Kherson (Liliya Skotarenko), Lviv (Liubov Batih) and Sevastopol. Despite much discussion of the topic following Kofi Annan's visit and its media coverage, journalists' interest remained very high as could be seen from the numbers of media representatives present at press clubs. For example, over 40 journalists were present at press club in Kyiv (8 of those were representatives of TV channels), over 20 journalists - in Lviv and Sevastopol.
7. Prepared a set of 11 TV spots (total length of 33 minutes), among which were: new advertising spot "AIDS Can Affect Anyone" produced by the New Channel, other materials given to us for copying, adaptation and translation by Super Nova (Walid Harfouche), UFPA, Art Agency "Art Veles", SAHEL (Africa) and two spots that had been used in the UK during similar campaign in the past.

   This set of video materials has been united by the BC logo and campaign motto "AIDS Can Affect Anyone". After being copied onto professional tapes (mini DV, S-VHS, Betacam), this set of materials has been distributed via "TV-Radio Courier" to 29 regional TV companies in 15 oblasts. These companies will report on the use of the spots in the end of the campaign. From the broadcast information that was provided by some of Television companies it is clear that just these companies aired the spots more than 800 times. The most broadcast time was given byhte Gorlovka television Company "Stirol" - it was broadcasted 198 times, from 3 to 7 times a day, 7 spots from the 10 provided (excluding the concert), Television Company "Norma TV" (Odesa) - broadcasted 133 times, TV Company "Elan" (Odesa) broadcasted 90 times (all of the spots), TV Company "Crimea" (Feodosija) broadcasted 90 times, Volin State TV Company broadcasted 84 times (except the English spots), and so on.

   Keeping in mind how many TV companies have not given information about the broadcast of the spots, and plus the 105 times that the spots were broadcasted on the New Channel, and the broadcasts organized by the oblast coordinators, we can say at this point of time during June-July the spots that were prepared by the project were broadcasted more than 1000 times on one national and almost 60 local TV channels.

8. Produced a set of audio materials (by InterNews) comprised of 10 radio spots. It has been distributed to more than 40 state and FM radio stations.
9. Together with the Ukrainian Market Reform Educational Programme (UMREP), 4 spots on socio-economic subjects have been produced (3-5 minutes each), which have been telecasted 16 times in the "Crossroads" [Perekhrestia] TV programme on ICTV, UT-1, and "1+1" Channels.

   Another spot has been produced, which was telecasted on the same channels 12 times. An article on Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS has been published in the "New Courier" magazine, issued by UMREP for 1500 regional mass media.

10. The British Council in collaboration with the National Journalists' Union and other state, public and international organisations (MoH, UN, InterNews, UNICEF, Institute of Journalism etc.) initiated the All-Ukrainian Competition of Journalistic Materials "AIDS Can Affect Anyone. Think Globally, Act Locally". The competition is to be held in the year 2002, which has been announced by the President's Decree the Year of AIDS Control. The goal of the competition is to activate mass media of all levels for HIV prevention through raising awareness. Statute of the Competition has been made public on the Journalists' Day, June 6. It has been distributed around Ukraine (UNIAN, TACIS, NJU etc.). According to feedback received after the Statute had been made public, interest towards the competition is very high and promoted creation of special programmes in regions.
11. Oblast Coordinators have been holding information campaign in the regions simultaneously with the national campaign. They distributed posters and booklets, organised telecasting of video and radio spots. For example, Kherson Oblast TV Company has been telecasting our spots thrice per day; "TET-Kherson" private TV channel also accepted our spots; "Khit-FM" and "AutoRadio" have been broadcasting our radio spots 4-5 times per day. In AR Crimea, 3 TV Channels and 2 Radios agreed to broadcast our materials; in Sevastopol - 3 TV and 4 Radio Channels; in Lviv - 4 TV and 5 Radio Channels etc. In all the oblasts where press clubs had been held, OCs took part in organising and engaging speakers, among which were Heads of Project Steering Groups.
12. During the campaign, assistance has been provided to other organisations in their events:

    - Press club in Kyiv was held together with a presentation of telephone line of trust (SAAPF), which allowed to involve more journalists and organise presentation on high level.

    - Liubov Batih made a presentation on the conference "Effective Forms of Work in HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Children and Youth", which was organised by the State Committee of Family and Youth Affairs in Ukraine and other organisations.

    - Veena Lakhumalani and Liubov Batih took part in the presentation of the new programme on HIV/AIDS prevention at work places (SMARTWork); next issue of "Ukraine and AIDS" bulletin is been prepared currently on this topic.

    - The Project financed 4 young journalists to participate in the International Youth Journalism Festival "Golden Generation". Emily Marlow and Liubov Batih held a master class for 60 journalists from different youth mass media.