7. Programme D: Media Accountability & Professionalism From left: Richard Delate, UNAIDS, Namibia’s David Lush and the late Benton Bango, a journalist from Mozambique, addressing the MISA 2003 conference in Dares-Salaam. Photo: CourtesyTBIN Our profession allows us – some may say requires us – to distance outselves from a subject for the sake of objectivity, not matter how involved we are personally. But to what extent do we use this as an excuse to avoid addressing a sensitive issue like HIV and AIDS in our own lives … If 20-30 percent of people in southern Africa are HIV-positive, as is the case in most SADC coutnries, then it is likely that a significate number of the region’s media workers are HIV-positive too. ” David Lush MISA Annual Report (April 2003 – March 2004) 77