Ageism is still prevalent in modern society, and media reporting seems to be one of the main drivers behind one of Australia’s last socially acceptable prejudices.
Older people’s advocacy group Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia has found the way older people are reported on by Australian media directly leads to increased levels of ageism, and wants that to change.
The call comes after the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) Shaping perceptions: How Australian media reports on ageing report, which found the media industry in Australia is consistently failing to represent older people and their issues accurately.
Patricia Sparrow, COTA Australia CEO, says the way media reports on older people and their issues reflects ageist attitudes in wider Australian society.
“The Human Rights Commission’s new report has confirmed what we have all known for a while – that ageism is a scourge that continues to persist in all aspects of life in Australia,” she said.
“As the report has shown, we’re seeing too much media representation which exploits negative stereotypes of older adults, using sensationalist headlines that stoke intergenerational tensions. This practice is not only misguided but deeply harmful.”
Ms Sparrow says ageism in Australia has been ignored for too long and is only growing as a problem with an increasingly aged population.
“As Australian lifespans continue to grow, so do the consequences of age-based discrimination. It’s time we recognised ageism for the serious issue it is,” she says.
“With the number of Australians aged 65 and over set to more than double in the next four decades, tackling ageism is important for us all.”
What’s wrong with the coverage?
The AHRC report highlights a number of key issues with the way older people and their issues are depicted in Australian media.
It noted that negative depictions of older people outweighed positive ones by around six to one. There were also recurring themes in media coverage, including framing getting older as a problem, an overriding narrative of older people being framed as frail and vulnerable and extreme levels of conflict between older and younger people.
The AHRC acknowledges these problems are often not deliberate and are exacerbated by tight media budgets and reduced newsroom size at most outlets.
It noted a distinct lack of access to subject matter experts for older people, time and resource constraints, as well as the loss of experienced and specialist practitioners in newsrooms as reasons for the decline in coverage.
Not just media
Ms Sparrow says Australia’s media has a role to play in addressing ageism in reporting, but so too do governments and businesses.
She wants the government to get involved and implement legislation targeting ageism in the same way that racism, sexism and other prejudices have been.
“The federal government should develop a comprehensive strategy for an ageing Australia that tackles ageism and age discrimination, including in laws, policies and practices,” she says.
“Let us not forget – we all age. Taking action against ageism and perverse stereotypes about older people today paves the way for better outcomes for everyone.
“We all have a role to play in creating a future where age is seen as an asset, not a barrier.”
Have you ever experienced age-based discrimination? Should we be doing more about it? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Is Australia doing enough to combat ageism?
