Media can help in the fight against age discrimination

This research also found that Australians generally felt advertising should start depicting older people as normal people living normal lives, in roles that contribute to Australian society and should reduce the fear associated with the portrayal of older people as victims.

The frightening bottom line is that when I say that all these negative stereotypes are destructive, the research backs me up.

Negative stereotypes about older people lead to negative behaviours. For example, just under half of Australians feel sorry for older people because of perceived complex health problems and over a third feel they have to take extra time to explain complex topics to them.

Most disturbingly, the research found that one in ten business participants have an age above which they will not recruit – and that average age is 50! And half of business decision-makers see older workers as being at a higher risk of being made redundant (with this figure increasing to 63% in smaller businesses).

My point is – to steal a quote from one of my esteemed colleagues – you can't be what you can't see.

Many older people feel they are nigh on invisible in the mainstream media. Considering over 14% of the population is over 65, people this age and older are featured in less than 5% of advertising content and less than 7% of editorial.

It is clear that our perceptions of older people are influenced by the ever-present media environment in which we live our lives. Given their low representation in it, if those depictions are often negative stereotypes, changing this picture is threatening to look like a losing battle.

Seventy-one percent of people in Australia already think age discrimination is common

We need to ensure that the way we see older people reflects the diverse reality of this large and growing group. As we are continually told, our population is ageing. We are living significantly longer lives, often far, far past 65. So, most of us are likely to find ourselves as part of this cohort one day. If we don't start to shift our attitudes and behaviours towards older people now, they will become so entrenched that it will be almost impossible to reverse.

There is very real –and somewhat urgent - social and economic sense to this.

Our popular culture and news reporting are not doing the image of 'older' people many favours. It seems to me, they have a new, vital and influential role to play.