Ms Mary Murphy:

It includes in the use of language. We would take issue with descriptions of older persons as elderly or vulnerable, which is language that international research has demonstrated to lead older persons to see themselves in a more negative way. There is also visual ageism in use of pictures that are unnecessarily in black and white or often focusing in on hands, for example. Then it is also the issues themselves and the framing of stories where older persons are seen as a problem or a burden or not capable of contributing to society. Older persons continuing to engage with a media that in some ways does not do them justice could be a result of there being high levels of internalised ageism among older persons. Our research has found that they share much of the most extreme ageist opinions.