The importance of relational communication for effecting social change in HIV/AIDS prevention messages: A content analysis of HIV/AIDS public service announcements.

摘要

Since 1987, the government has produced public service announcements (PSAs) to provide information and education to the public about the nature of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). By 2005, PSAs produced by the government continued, but now include nongovernmental organizations (NGO) that also produce PSAs to help fight HIV/AIDS through ongoing public education. Contained in the government/NGO PSAs is information that explains modes of how HIV/AIDS is contracted (e.g., unprotected sex, needle exchanges during drug use) and strategies to prevent infection of HIV (Gunn-Brooks, Boyer, & Hein, 1988; Kim, Stanton, Li, Dickersin, & Galbraith, 1997; Stanton, Kim, Galbraith, & Parrott, 1996). A content analysis of public service announcements by government and nongovernment organizations was conducted to ascertain the targeted audience, the communication strategies that are portrayed (i.e., identification, identity, face, dialectics, and sexuality) and a comprehensive analytical framework grounded in interpersonal communication theory, principally relational communication theory, based on general systems theory and cybernetics, which treats communication as processual and interactional rather than linear and individual (Beck, 1997).;The findings revealed that females are represented as dominant figures in HIV/AIDS PSAs; however, females are still underrepresented compared to males. Next, the findings showed that females have expanded discussions of issues (i.e., HIV testing) and how females are represented, such as experts. Nevertheless, the portrayal of females as qualified or trustworthy had decreased in HIV/AIDS PSAs. Verbal and nonverbal interpersonal communication strategies are incorporated in HIV/AIDS PSAs. This illuminated relational communication strategies of identification, identity, facework and sexuality embedded in HIV/AIDS PSAs. Implications of this study offer practitioners valuable tools to understand and implement relational communication during the inception and creation of HIV/AIDS PSAs.