Keep a Child Alive's campaign - Digital Death

How celebrities are using social media to build awareness about AIDS?

The mainstream media treatment of AIDS is not uniform. We compare three articles speaking about Keep a Child Alive's campaign, "Digital Death". We take two traditional newspapers to compare the treatment by the media in the US and UK: The New York Times and The Guardian. The third medium is a website specializing in web : scaryideas.com (US). Before beginning this press review, we will present you the context of this campaign.

Quite a long time, organizations which fight against AIDS, have used celebrity supporters to push their message. That is why Alicia Keys became co-founder of Keep a Child Alive's association. However, in December 2010, this association had wanted to extend when she brought a lot of celebrities for World AIDS Day. In addition, KCA created an innovation in humanitarian communication by using social media. 

Through this example, we will see how humanitarian associations exploit social media and celebrities to generate support for H.I.V. and AIDS awareness. But, will the media want to speak about this campaign, like the association want it?  

"Farewell, Digital World."

The Digital Death's campaign was launched on December 1, 2010. Each year, it's the World Day of Fight against AIDS. It is a big event.

It’s the latest strategy by Keep a Child Alive (KCA) which finances medical care and supports services for children and families affected by H.I.V. in Africa and India.

For this project, many key figures gathered around Alicia Keys to encourage their fans to make a donation to KCA. To raise money, they have decided to no appear on Twitter and Facebook, if one million dollar was not reached. Before becoming silent on social media, Alicia Keys and others, involved in the campaign recorded "last tweet and testament" videos.

Keep a Child Alive's latest campaign repositions consumerism and the act of buying. KCA believes that the fight against HIV/AIDS has changed. This is about changing consumer behavior in the nonprofit environment through social media.

December 6th 2010, KCA made a declaration that $1 million had been raised and all artists were resurrected.

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Press review

"Charitable organizations have harnessed the power of  social media before, but never with such an innovative approach".  

This article is in Scaryideas, an US Web 2.0 magazine. So, it's not surprising that this article focused on social media's exploitation. But this author makes a long paragraph about KCA, campaign's purpose and how to make a donation.

In The New York Times, it's rare that Amy WALLACE's rubric pays attention to celebrities. For her, this action is different. Keys knows that America considers its celebrities like commodities. This journalist thinks the same thing and appreciates that she uses to technology to do some good. KCA hopes to create an "impulse giving" like an "impulse buying". Famous people are like any other consumer product.

In this web's rubric, she talks about social media's exploitation - an interesting initiative for her. However, this reporter doesn't forget the fight against AIDS. We can see, through the article's length, that she brings attention to KCA's action.

In UK, the treatment was different, Stuart Heritage writes about film and music for the Guardian. For him, this campaign exploits social media - it's a fantastic idea. But quickly, this article becomes less serious and more ironic.

For example, "It's a tough choice" isn't about the real KCA's request. For him, we can even make a donation to another organization to avoid that some stars come back in digital life. Finally, he  concluded : "We've already silenced a Kardashian. That's enough for now."

So, The Guardian's article focuses on the celebrities. In my opinion, he forgets an essential point: the fight against AIDS.

To conclude, this information was published in different media (newspapers, web magazine, television,...). Nevertheless, a lot of them have put a humanitarian campaign in entertainment's rubric. If this event wasn't covered on the social networks' side, articles were written because stars are concerned.

In my opinion, the true fight against AIDS hasn't a real place in media. But Keys' idea is original, so KCA's campaign was relayed. It isn't always the case of all humanitarian campaigns in the US or even in France media.

Indeed, have you ever seen an article on Sidaction's campaign recently?

355 words.

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