June 1, 2001: Nkosi Johnson has died in Johannesburg.

He had recently turned twelve and became a symbol and spokesperson for Africa’s growing army of Aids orphans. Mediachannel readers may remember my column a few weeks ago about Nkosi asking how many more orphans will die before the media wakes the world up to this growing catastrophe of the 40 million children expected to be living without parents by the end of this decade. For most of us these children are far away, “over there,” anonymous and somehow an invisible part of the AIDS discourse which revolves around prevention and treatment, and especially the role of pharmaceutical companies. The announcement yesterday by the Center for Disease Control that the infection rate is on the rise in America’s black community is a wake up call that AIDs is not through with America yet.

Nkosi’s death hit me hard because I knew and loved him, and had just finished a Globalvision tribute video about his life with my colleague Carol DeVoe about his life and concerns, produced for the FXB Association and Foundation led by the outspoken Mediachannel advisor Countess Albina du Boisrouvray which has been mobilizing around the issue and trying to alert the media to it. I was just in Washington D.C. Thursday night May 31 when she spoke at the Global Health Council Awards dinner where the orphans issue, and the need to do more to combat AIDS, was raised by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Washington Post didn’t even cover his remarks or the event. Niether did the TV media in our Nation’s Capital.

Earlier in the day I attended a panel and web cast at the Freedom Forum’s Newseum (www.freedomforum.org) about reporting on the AIDS crisis which is just marking its 20th anniversary. (The first story by David Pearlman ran June 6th l981 in the San Francisco Chronicle on p.4 , with no byline, reporting on a mysterious “medical oddity” in the gay community.) The journalists present acknowledged that AIDS coverage has been cyclical and the that much more must be done. I rose to report that one of the most deadly crises in the world only rated .06% of the coverage of the big three US networks from March to November 2000, according to a study by Media Tenor, the international monitoring group.

(Read the whole report on Media Tenor’s Web site.)

I was happy to see Nightline’s Dave Marash accept the Global Health Council Award for three excellent reports produced for ABC’s late night news program by former 20/20 buddy Jay Lamonica. In remarks admitted how rare his three part series was, Marash called on those present to lobby news companies to do more. At the same dinner, Melinda Gates whose foundation, funded and run with husband Bill, has made global health a priority, spoke out against TV newscasts that show plane crashes that kill a few hundred people while ignoring the plight of millions. I was pleased to see that these advocates for those suffering from AIDS recognize that media indifference is part of the problem.

What can WE do about it? For starters, I would be pleased if those of you reading these words, wrote me for copies of the video tribute to Nkosi Johnson to help us get this underreported story out. You can write me at dissector@mediachannel.org or c/o Globalvision, 1600 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019. The FXB foundation which paid for its production is asking for a $50 donation (payable to FXB US FOUNDATION) to support its global action for orphans campaign. You can read about more about how to get involved at http://www.orphans.fxb.org

Hopefully, Mediachannel.org will be doing more to monitor media coverage of AIDS and the related orphans issue. This is a story we need to follow, and press for more coverage of this urgent story.

Rest in Peace Nkosi.You will not be forgotten.