Ms Mary Murphy:

Age Action welcomes the opportunity to address the committee today on future media from the perspective of current and future generations of older people as both consumers and creators of media. The Future of Media Commission’s report is a much-needed contribution to the vision of an inclusive society and Age Action encourages media organisations to recognise their role in influencing ageist attitudes and their responsibility to help reframe how we think, feel and act towards ageing and older people. Age Action’s recent polling on ageism found that over one third of Irish adults agreed with two or more of the seven ageist opinions presented to them. Media content tends to reinforce ageist stereotypes, through the use of language like elderly and vulnerable, pictures of wrinkled hands or stories that pit one generation against another. However, the media also hold the power to provide evidence and narratives of the diversity of people across all age ranges. The sector must develop standards and codes that prohibit ageism in content.

Age Action recognises the digital transformation of the media space is both a challenge and an opportunity to creators and consumers. We estimate that 65% of people aged 65 and over are digitally excluded. Research shows that people aged 55 and over rely more on traditional media than younger age groups. The delivery of fair and objective content through offline media platforms should be safeguarded and maintained, including by ensuring its affordability. This includes community and regional media, which are crucial platforms for information and debate. We know that persons aged 65 and over have higher levels of trust in the national media, and lower levels of mistrust, than people aged 18 to 64. Often, efforts to promote media literacy are targeted at younger cohorts. While there is value in this, older persons should also be targeted by media literacy programmes.

The media industry is also an employer that should strive to deliver age-positive workplaces. Many elements of an age-positive workplace are simply desirable conditions for all workers. These include flexible work habits, occupational health and safety and continued training and development for workers, including approaches best suited to older workers. Our polling on ageism found that those working in the arts and entertainment sector were disproportionately likely to have experienced age discrimination in the past few years. One particularly harmful manifestation of ageism in the workplace, including in the media sector, is mandatory retirement. No justification for mandatory retirement is backed up by strong evidence. Forcing older workers to retire does long-lasting damage to their health, well-being and financial security. Age Action supports the elimination of mandatory retirement clauses in employment contracts.

In conclusion, the media sector and media policy need to be responsive to the circumstances of older persons through eliminating ageist stereotypes and narratives, preserving offline media, targeting older persons’ media literacy and ensuring media workplaces are age-positive.