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Zkoumání jaderné funkce interleukinu-1alfa / Dissecting the nuclear function of the interleukin-1alphaNovák, Josef January 2012 (has links)
Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) is a well-known proinflammatory mediator acting as a secreted molecule. However, in addition to its ability to activate its membrane-bound receptor, there is growing evidence on its noncanonical nuclear function, which classifies IL-1alpha as a "dual function cytokine". This nuclear action depends on the evolutionary conserved N-terminal domain of IL-1alpha. After proteolytic processing, the N-terminal domain of IL-1alpha translocates into nucleus. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes were previously identified as nuclear targets of IL-1alpha precursor. However, the specific protein which is responsible for the interaction between IL-1alpha and HAT complexes has not been identified yet. To dissect this interaction, the N-terminal domain of IL-1alpha was produced in yeast. Suitability of this experimental setup for testing the interaction between IL-1alpha and eukaryotic HAT complexes was evaluated in this study. IL-1alpha has been analyzed in this study using bioinformatics approaches as well. Putative amphipatic acidic helixes of IL-1alpha have been characterized. One of the potential binding partners of these domains is protein Ada2. Protein Ada2, mature IL-1alpha and IL-1alpha precursor in fusion with epitopes suitable for affinity purification were produced in...
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Iniciace germánského hrdiny v ságách o dávnověku / Initiation of the Germanic Hero in FornaldarsõgurFryje, Jakub January 2013 (has links)
The main theme of this paper is the initiation of the heroes from two important fornaldarsõgur: The Saga of the Võlsungs and The Saga of the King Hrólf Kraki. These heroes are called Sigurð, Sigmund, Sinfjõtli and Hõtt. The tales of these four characters acting in the stories that are preserved in the sagas we divide into three phases, which can be designated like separation phase, liminal phase and a return. In this case we are inspired by the conception of Arnold van Gennep, who dividided the rites of passage in this manner. The liminal phase of the heroic story is most important for us. It is the core of the initiation process, which is experiencing the hero, and the core of the rite of passage as well. In our stories is significant for the liminal phase for example a monster killed by the hero, hero's encounter with a numinous beings, or hero's abidance in certain liminal state. The main objective of this thesis is using primary sources and secondary literature by scholars such as Otto Höfler, Victor Turner or Jens Peter Schjødt, to create consise analysis of the liminal phase of three stories about germanic heroes, which is possible to designate as the initiation texts. This analysis should clarify, how these initiation texts relate with the initiation rituals and - in certain cases - with the...
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Caminhos Cruzados e Um Lugar ao Sol: o projeto literário de Erico VerissimoCampos, Beatriz Badim de 30 March 2015 (has links)
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Previous issue date: 2015-03-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation deals with the relationship between author-creator and literary text Caminhos Cruzados (1935) and Um Lugar ao Sol (1936) written by Erico Verissimo, from the perspectives of the unfolding of a narrative in another, and the characters-writers sharing authorial function with Verissimo-creator, positioned in the crack between the book-biographical. We asked about the meaning of authorial voices multiplication in Verissimo s project and the links established with his writing position in the context of neo-realism of the 30s. We developed the hypotheses from two assumptions: the characters-writers appearing as the author's own folds into a dynamic fit between narratives and the "saga" as a structural core of a literary project in (re)writing process. The theorical foundation left of Foucault, Bakhtin, Barthes and Giorgio Agamben on the author-function studies, the concept of plug-in by Todorov and the saga of Johnni Langer, and critical studies such as Antonio Candido, Flávio Loureiro Chaves and Maria Glory Bordini. In the analysis, we selected pairs of characters-writers, Noel-Fernanda and Vasco-Clarissa, who pointed to the confrontation between literary projects a ratio of removal-approach of social engagement, reflecting the Verissimo s conflict in the context of the neorealist in the 1930s. There was also the fit between narratives and characters betweenauthors, expanding the analytical framework covering the other works of the author. This revealed an architectural whose root is the saga, seen under a new facet: that which is woven between families of narratives. We conclude that Caminhos Cruzados and Um Lugar ao Sol established a reflection between author and literary text through migration of characters and the web of a novel in the other, making the "saga" the aesthetic compositional principle of Verissimo s project, committed to making art and at the same time with the individual and society / Esta dissertação trata da relação entre autor-criador e texto literário em
Caminhos Cruzados (1935) e Um Lugar ao Sol (1936) de Erico Verissimo,
sob as perspectivas do desdobramento de uma narrativa em outra e a de
personagens-escritoras partilhando a função autoral com Verissimo-criador,
posicionado na fissura entre o escritural e o biográfico. Questionávamos sobre
o significado dessa multiplicação de vozes autorais no projeto verissiano e os
vínculos que estabelecem com sua posição de escritor no contexto do
Neorrealismo dos anos 30. Elaboramos as hipóteses a partir de dois
pressupostos: o de personagens-escritoras revelando-se como dobras do
próprio autor em uma dinâmica de encaixe entre narrativas e o da saga como
núcleo estruturante de um projeto literário em processo de (re)escrita. Os
fundamentos teóricos partiram dos estudos de Foucault, Bakhtin, Barthes e
Giorgio Agamben sobre a função-autor, do conceito de encaixe de Todorov e
do de saga de Johnni Langer, além de estudos críticos como os de Antonio
Candido, Flávio Loureiro Chaves e Maria da Glória Bordini. Na análise, foram
selecionados pares de personagens-escritoras, Noel-Fernanda e Vasco-
Clarissa, que apontavam para o confronto entre projetos literários numa relação
de afastamento-aproximação do engajamento social, refletindo o conflito de
Verissimo no contexto neorrealista de 1930. Observou-se, também, o encaixe
entre narrativas e entre personagens-autoras, ampliando o referencial de
análise que abrangeu as demais obras do autor. Isto revelou uma arquitetônica
cuja raiz é a saga, vista sob nova faceta: aquela que se tece entre famílias de
narrativas. Concluímos que Caminhos Cruzados e Um Lugar ao Sol
instauram a reflexão entre autor e texto literário por meio da migração de
personagens e da tessitura de um romance no outro, fazendo da saga o
princípio estético composicional do projeto verissiano, comprometido com o
fazer artístico e, ao mesmo tempo, com o homem e a sociedade
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Structural study of the transcriptional co-activator SAGA / Etude structurale du coactivateur transcriptionel SAGA chez la levure Saccharomyces cerevisiaeDurand, Alexandre 29 April 2014 (has links)
Le complexe SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyl transferase) est un co-activateur transcriptionel, conservé chez les eucaryotes, qui participent à la transcription d’environ 10% des gènes chez la levure, où il fait le lien entre les composants du complexe de pré-initiation, tel que la TATA-box Binding Protein (TBP) et des activateurs, et modifie les histones dans le contexte de la chromatine (acétylation et déubiquitination). Ces travaux de thèse ont permis de décrire l’architecture moléculaire du complexe observée par microscopie électronique. Nous avons pu (i) localiser le module de déubiquitination au sein du complexe entier et ainsi (ii) définir une zone d’interaction avec le nucléosome ; (iii) montrer la présence de deux sites d’interaction avec la protéine TBP situé au niveau d’une « pince »moléculaire ; (iv) observer un lien fonctionnel entre le module de déubiquitination, en particulier de la protéine Sgf73, et les conformations adoptées par cette pince. / The SAGA complex (Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyl transferase) is a transcriptional coactivator, highly conserved in eukaryotes, involved in the transcription of 10% of the genes in yeast, where it bridges the components of the pre-initiation complex such as the TATA-box Binding Protein (TBP) and activators, as well as modifies histones in the chromatin template (acetylation and deubiquitination). This work has revealed the molecular architecture of the complex observed by electron microscopy. We could (i) localize the deubiquitination module within the whole complex and thus (ii) define the interaction surface with the nucleosome; (iii) reveal the presence of two TBP-interacting surfaces localized at the tips of a molecular clamp; (iv) observe a functional link between the deubiquitination module, in particular the Sgf73 protein, and the conformation adopted by this clamp.
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Investigating the role of human HAT (histone acetyltransferase) containing complexes, ATAC and SAGA, in living cells / Etude du rôle des complexes HAT (histone acetyltransferase) humains, ATAC et SAGA, dans les cellules vivantesVosnakis, Nikolaos 16 December 2014 (has links)
Les complexes acétyltransférases (HAT), SAGA et ATAC, sont des régulateurs de la transcription des gènes. Cependant, peu d’études ont été menées sur la dynamique de ces complexes au niveau cellulaire et sur les mécanismes régulant leur assemblage. Au cours de mes travaux de thèse, j’ai utilisé des approches d’imagerie sur cellules vivantes, afin de déterminer la mobilité de ces complexes en comparaison avec celle d’autres régulateurs transcriptionnels. Les résultats ont montré que les sous-unités de SAGA et ATAC interagissent de manière transiente avec la chromatine. En complément, nous avons montré que les sous-unités spécifiques de SAGA et ATAC (ADA2b et ADA2a) ont des propriétés dynamique intracellulaire différentes et que GCN5, affecte la distribution d’ADA2a. Des analyses protéomique menées sur le comportement de ces protéines au niveau endogène, ont permis de montrer que les voies d’assemblage de ces deux complexes étaient différentes au niveau cytoplasmique et nucléaire. / Human SAGA and ATAC, are histone acetyltransferase (HAT) containing complexes that share a set of subunits and facilitate RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. Little is known for the dynamics of the complexes in living cells and the regulation of their assembly. In this work, we used live-cell imaging to characterise the mobility of the two complexes and compare it with other actors of Pol II transcription. All tested ATAC and SAGA subunits exhibit very transient interactions with chromatin, a property that explains certain aspects of the function of the complexes. Moreover, we showed that overexpressed ATAC- and SAGA-specific HAT-module subunits (ADA2a and ADA2b respectively) have different intracellular dynamics and that the abundance of the shared subunit GCN5, affects the distribution of ADA2a. Quantitative proteomic analysis expanded our findings on endogenous proteins and provided evidence that the cytoplasmic and nuclear assembly pathways of SAGA and ATAC are different.
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Honneur et individualité : dynamiques identitaires dans les sagas des IslandaisDenis-Blais, Maxence 08 1900 (has links)
Cette étude aspire à inscrire davantage l’Islande du XIIIe siècle dans le débat historiographique de l’individu au Moyen Âge, dont les travaux sont plutôt centrés autour de l’Europe continentale occidentale. Elle pose la question de la perception qu’avaient les anciens Islandais envers eux-mêmes vis-à-vis la notion d’individualisme. Elle cherche à cerner le rapport entretenu avec le collectif, à déterminer si l’Islandais pouvait se concevoir et se définir au-delà de structures ou d’appartenance(s) de groupe. L’analyse du contenu des sagas des Islandais (Íslendingasögur), genre littéraire propre à l’île, permet de formuler une histoire des mentalités à cette fin. C’est la notion d’honneur, thème central dans les textes, qui sert d’angle d’approche pour évaluer le degré d’individualité des anciens Islandais. Les diverses dimensions de l’honneur tel qu’illustré dans les sagas sont alors décortiquées afin de répondre à ce questionnement. L’honneur est ainsi d’abord considéré dans sa relation avec la notion voisine de réputation. Le constat de la place capitale accordée à l’idée de réputation de même que son processus d’établissement sont alors observés. L’honneur est ensuite analysé à travers les logiques et les dynamiques de la course à l’honneur présente dans la littérature, qui sert de motivation aux personnages des récits. Enfin, l’honneur est perçu sous le thème de la perception de sa dignité, et de ce que cela impliquait dans les relations sociales. / This study aspires to place thirteenth-century Iceland more fully within the historiographical debate on the individual in the Middle Ages, which has tended to focus on continental Western Europe. It interrogates the perception that the ancient Icelanders had of themselves in relation to the notion of individualism. In turn, it seeks to identify the sustained relationship with the collective, to determine if the Icelanders could conceive and define themselves beyond group structures or membership. Analysis of the content of the sagas of Icelanders (Íslendingasögur), a literary genre specific to Iceland, makes it possible to formulate a history of mentalité for this purpose. The notion of honor, a central theme in the texts, serves to evaluate the degree of individuality accorded the ancient Icelanders. The various dimensions of honor as expressed in the sagas are then dessected to answer this question. Honor is first considered in its relation to reputation. The importance of the idea of reputation as well as the process by which it is established is then observed. Analysis of how honor and its pursuit are motivating themes in the sagas are then considered. Finally, honor is perceived under the theme of the perception of oneʼs dignity and its social implications.
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Study of the Role of SAGA/SLIK Complexes and Mip6 Protein in Gene Expression Regulation in EukaryotesNuño Cabanes, María del Carmen 22 July 2024 (has links)
[ES] The study of eukaryotic gene expression is challenging because of the interconnection between all steps. Many factors orchestrate gene expression by influencing several layers of regulation. The Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex is a transcriptional coactivator involved in the coupling between transcriptional activation and downstream events, such as transcriptional elongation and mRNA export, by interacting with other elements of the regulatory machinery, such as transcription and export complex 2 (TREX-2). In this thesis, we demonstrate that TREX-2 components influence the activity of the SAGA deubiquitination module (DUBm) and the formation of the SAGA-like (SLIK) complex, a SAGA-related complex that exists in budding yeast, whose function is still unclear. We deepened our understanding of the SAGA and SLIK duality by studying different scenarios in which the two complexes behaved similarly or showed functional differences, such as osmotic stress. We created new Spt7 mutants, in which SLIK formation was triggered or impaired, to determine the differential roles of SAGA and SLIK. Although we observed that some SAGA functions, such as histone deubiquitination, were also performed by SLIK, others were not, such as chromatin recruitment of the Spt7 and Spt8 SAGA subunits and nuclear retention of bulk mRNA under osmotic stress. We also demonstrated that the C-terminal domain of Spt7 interacts with Spt8 outside of the SAGA complex. Additionally, in this thesis we focused on the study of Mip6 protein, an mRNA-binding protein that interacts with the general export factor Mex67 and has been recently reported to participate in the regulation of the heat stress response, in a recent study from our laboratory. Using a multi-omics approach, we characterized the mip6¿ mutant in a heat shock time course experiment (0,20 and 120 min) through the generation of a high-quality multi-omics dataset, which allowed us to deepen the study of Mip6 function under heat shock and adaptation to stress. mip6¿ showed altered levels of some transcripts under stress and non-stress conditions, together with impaired recruitment of the stress-transcription factors Hsf1 and Msn2 to the chromatin and altered occupancy of RNApol II under stress. Consistent hyperactivation of trehalose metabolism genes was observed at the transcriptional level, which was accompanied by the accumulation of trehalose, a key disaccharide in the stress response with a protective function. / [CA] El estudio de la expresión génica en eucariotas es un desafío debido a la interconexión entre todos los pasos. Muchos factores orquestan la expresión genética al influir en varios niveles su regulación. El complejo Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetiltransferasa (SAGA) es un coactivador transcripcional involucrado en el acoplamiento entre la activación transcripcional y eventos posteriores, como la elongación transcripcional y la exportación de ARNm, al interactuar con otros elementos de la maquinaria de regulación, como el complejo de transcripción y exportación 2 (TREX-2). En esta tesis, demostramos que componentes de TREX-2 influyen en la actividad del módulo de desubiquitinación de SAGA (DUBm) y en la formación del complejo SAGA-like (SLIK), un complejo relacionado con SAGA que existe en la levadura, cuya función aún se desconoce. Profundizamos nuestra comprensión de la dualidad de SAGA y SLIK, mediante el estudio de diferentes escenarios en los que los dos complejos se comportaban de manera similar o mostraban diferencias funcionales, como el estrés osmótico. Creamos nuevos mutantes de Spt7, en los que se favoreció o impidió la formación de SLIK, para determinar las diferencias funcionales entre ambos complejos. Aunque observamos que algunas funciones de SAGA, como la desubiquitinación de histonas, también fueron realizadas por SLIK, otras no, como el reclutamiento a la cromatina de las subunidades de SAGA Spt7 y Spt8 y la retención nuclear del ARNm en estrés osmótico. También demostramos que el dominio C-terminal de Spt7 interacciona con Spt8 fuera del complejo SAGA. Además, en esta tesis nos centramos en el estudio de la proteína Mip6, una proteína de unión a ARNm que interacciona con el factor general de exportación Mex67 y cuya función en la regulación de la respuesta al estrés térmico se ha descrito en un reciente estudio de nuestro laboratorio. Utilizando un enfoque multiómico, caracterizamos el mutante mip6D en un experimento de estrés térmico de 120 minutos mediante la generación de un conjunto de datos de alta calidad, lo que nos permitió profundizar en el estudio de la función de Mip6 en choque térmico y en la adaptación a dicho estrés. mip6D mostró niveles alterados de algunos tránscritos en condiciones de estrés y no estrés, junto con un reclutamiento a la cromatina deficiente de los factores de transcripción Hsf1 y Msn2 y una alteración en la ocupación de la RNA polimerasa II (RNApol II) en estrés térmico. Se observó una hiperactivación constante de los genes del metabolismo de la trehalosa, así como acumulación de trehalosa, un disacárido clave en la respuesta al estrés con una función protectora. / [EN] L'estudi de l'expressió gènica en eucariotes és un desafiament a causa de la interconnexió entre tots els passos. Molts factors orquesten l'expressió genètica en influir en diversos nivells la regulació. El complex Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetiltransferasa (SAGA) és un coactivador transcripcional involucrat en l'acoblament entre l'activació transcripcional i esdeveniments posteriors, com l'elongació transcripcional i l'exportació d'ARNm, en interactuar amb altres elements de la maquinària de regulació, com ara el complex de transcripció i exportació 2 (TREX-2). En aquesta tesi, demostrem que components de TREX-2 influeixen en l'activitat del mòdul de desubiquitinació de SAGA (DUBm) i en la formació del complex SAGA-like (SLIK), un complex relacionat amb SAGA que existeix al llevat, la funció del qual encara es desconeix. Hem aprofundit la nostra comprensió de la dualitat de SAGA i SLIK, mitjançant l'estudi de diferents escenaris on els dos complexos es comportaven de manera similar o mostraven diferències funcionals, com l'estrès osmòtic. Hem creat nous mutants de Spt7, en què s'afavoreix o s'impedeix la formació de SLIK, per determinar les diferències funcionals entre ambdós complexos. Tot i que observem que algunes funcions de SAGA, com la desubiquitinació d'histones, també foren realitzades per SLIK, d'altres no, com el reclutament a la cromatina de les subunitats de SAGA Spt7 i Spt8, i la retenció nuclear de l'ARNm en estrès osmòtic. També hem demostrat que el domini C-terminal de Spt7 interacciona amb Spt8 fora del complex SAGA. A més, en aquesta tesi ens centrem en l'estudi de la proteïna Mip6, una proteïna d'unió a ARNm que interacciona amb el factor general d'exportació Mex67 i la funció de la qual en la regulació de la resposta a l'estrès tèrmic s'ha descrit en un estudi recent el nostre laboratori. Utilitzant un enfocament multiòmic, hem caracteritzat el mutant mip6D en un experiment d'estrès tèrmic de 120 minuts mitjançant la generació d'un conjunt de dades d'alta qualitat, cosa que ens ha permés aprofundir en l'estudi de la funció de Mip6 en xoc tèrmic i en la adaptació a aquest estrès. mip6D va mostrar nivells alterats d'alguns trànscrits en condicions d'estrès i no estrès, juntament amb un reclutament a la cromatina deficient dels factors de transcripció Hsf1 i Msn2, i una alteració en l'ocupació de l'RNA polimerasa II (RNApol II) en estrés tèrmic . Es va observar una hiperactivació constant dels gens del metabolisme de la trehalosa, així com acumulació de trehalosa, un disacàrid clau en la resposta a l'estrès amb una funció protectora. / This thesis was accomplished thanks to two pre-doctoral fellowships, both given by the
Generalitat Valenciana, and a predoctoral contract: Pre-doctoral fellowship associated with the PROMETEO project
PROMETEO2016/B/093 – “The Next Systems Biology: development of
statistical methods for the biology of multiomic systems"; Pre-doctoral fellowship for research stays outside the Valencian Community
BEFPI/2019/035; Pre-doctoral contract associated with the project 20182D179 – “Regulación
epigenética de la formación y metabolismo de mRNPs”, given by the Ministerio
de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades from the Spanish Government. / Nuño Cabanes, MDC. (2024). Study of the Role of SAGA/SLIK Complexes and Mip6 Protein in Gene Expression Regulation in Eukaryotes [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/207009
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Kvällspressens bevakning av Paradise Hotel - då och nu.Gabrielsson, Andreas, Haugen, Daniel January 2016 (has links)
I vår uppsats har vi undersökt hur medierapporteringen av dokusåpan Paradise Hotel har förändrats under tidsperioden 2005 till 2014. Vi har gjort detta genom att undersöka medierapporteringen över tid och jämfört Aftonbladets och Expressens pappersartiklar från de valda åren med varandra. De konkreta frågor som ställts till artiklarna är "hur har rubrikerna förändrats?", "vilken vinkling har artiklarna?", "hur beskrivs deltagarna?" samt "vilken sorts personer rapporteras det om mest?". Eftersom vår studie handlar om en förändrad medierapportering av en dokusåpa så kan den ses som ett fall av kvällspressens nöjesrapportering. Det vi har kommit fram till genom att studera de valda artiklarna är att de artiklar som publiceras i Aftonbladets och Expressens pappersupplagor som uppmärksammar Paradise Hotel i dag inte vinklas hårdare nu. Samtidigt har vi sett en förändring där media har gått från att beskriva programmet som något skandalomsusat till en mjukare beskrivning där negativa epitet som "sexsåpa" i lika hög grad som tidigare inte används i tidningsartiklar om programmet . Rapporteringens fokus har också flyttat från konflikter och bråk deltagarna emellan till sex, relationer och deltagarnas privatliv. Således gestaltas såväl programmet som dess deltagare på ett annorlunda sätt idag än vad de gjordes år 2005, dock nödvändigtvis inte hårdare
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Vikingové v anglosaské Anglii v historickém a literárním kontextu / Contextualizing the Vikings in Anglo-Saxon History and LiteratureGigov, Jana January 2011 (has links)
"Contextualizing the Vikings in Anglo-Saxon History and Literature" examines the Scandinavian impact of Viking presence in Anglo-Saxon England during the so-called First and Second Viking Age, concentrating on the portrayals of the Viking activity in Anglo-Saxon chronicles and annals, as well as Scandinavian (chiefly Icelandic and Danish) sources. It aims to identify the patterns of representation in those portrayals and their development relative to the historical events of the period, the political situation in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, the state and progress of the Church, and contemporary literary tendencies, including the influence of heroic literature and the development of the Anglo-Saxon kingship. Three distinct accounts that came into existence as a result of the Viking invasion of England in 866 are examined. Three main traditions can be discerned - the Scandinavian tradition, reflecting the battle of York, the slaying of king Ella and king Edmund, the East Anglian tradition, reflecting the slaying of king Edmund, and the Wessex tradition, reflecting king Alfred's struggle with the Danes. The thesis proposes to trace the historical origins and development of these traditions, attempting to discern their historical and fictional elements by comparing them with the record of the historical...
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How journalists view their role in HIV and AIDS reporting in a new South AfricaMokoena, Miriam 16 January 2014 (has links)
Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2013 / HIV and AIDS came into the national spotlight as soon as the ANC government took over from the Apartheid regime in South Africa and media coverage of the pandemic has attracted considerable attention. This research investigates how journalists view the way they covered HIV and AIDS in the new South Africa — after 1994. This was a time when the journalism profession was faced with a wide range of expectations including educating people about their rights, exposing the escalation of crime and corruption, reporting on service delivery and promoting social cohesion or transformation. Arguably, this was also a time when the government expected the media to help it build new social cohesiveness and be less critical of its shortcomings. The research investigates how journalists handled the interplay of news values, journalistic practices and political pressures of HIV/AIDS reporting after 1994. Careful attention is given specifically to the period of 1996 to 1999 since this period was marked by many HIV and AIDS controversies. The Virodene saga, one of the scandals that saw HIV and AIDS making headlines at the time, is used as the primary case study of this investigation. This study uses the social responsibility theory as the main theoretical framework. The theory states that the media has an obligation to educate and inform people; thereby playing a monitorial or watchdog role — making sure the government is accountable to the people who voted it in. The research used in-depth interviews with eight journalists who covered HIV and AIDS in the new South Africa to get their views on the issue and a brief content analysis to understand how HIV and AIDS scandals broke and how journalists handled them. Though previous research shows that HIV and AIDS was not well covered and only made headlines when the story was a controversy, findings in this study challenge these notions. The research found that despite feeling the need to give the government a chance to mature (collaborative role), journalists chose to play the social responsibility or watchdog role in HIV reporting by covering facts despite this reflecting badly on the government. The paper also points out that the Virodene story ‘automatically’ turned into a scandal and in
newsroom terms, became a political story, not an ordinary a health story. Although
journalistic professional values have been criticised for causing journalists to favour certain
issues over others, in this case they exposed government’s shortfalls and averted a potentially
disastrous situation. This research not only positions itself to offer deep understanding of the
sensitive issue of HIV and AIDS reporting but also offers insights into the very ethos of the
journalism profession itself.
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