Stop stereotyping us!

07/12/2009

 The media is one of the most powerful tools in defining attitudes - often through negative language and words affecting not only older people but all sections of the population - from youngsters labelled as ‘hoodies’ through to the ‘elderly’.

 

News headlines describe women aged 60 as ‘elderly’. How many over 60 would identify with that description?  Would Twiggy - shown in the picture above?

 

So who do the media think these pensioners are – are they ‘old’, ‘elderly’, ‘aged’, ‘senior’, or just ‘older people’?  Judging by some examples I have seen, the media do not know who they are, what they read or watch, where they work, how they enjoy themselves or what role they play in society.
Perhaps this is not surprising, as the boundaries have become blurred, but the impression is that the media are not comfortable in covering this very large diverse group of people as there are few role models. What is normal? What is unusual? What is the expectation? Often interviewers and papers come across as patronising and condescending as if interviewing an alien species.

 

So what do we want?

Certainly a recognition of the differing generations. We are the only group given the same label for 50+ years. 0-50 is not described under one label so why 50-100, where there are very different generations with very different life experiences?

 

Age is a state of mind. Older people are not just one 50-year lump – you cannot have one image which fits all older people, just as you cannot claim one voice speaks for all older people.

 

Stop reporting people by age, which fans the categorising and stereotyping – i.e. putting a person’s age automatically on a story – it does not paint a picture or describe the person.  The 2006 journalists’ guidelines state: avoid stereotyping and stories emphasising the person’s age rather than the reasons they were in the news.  Clause 10 of the NUJ’s own code of conduct states that a person’s age should only be mentioned if strictly relevant.  Over the years this clause has got lost.  We want Clause 10 back as part of good practice. Categorising by age puts people in a box and implies how they do or should behave – but more and more people do not conform to their box.

 

Change the language used and the attitudes they imply.  Most are not positive.  A survey of 20 – 80 year olds revealed that ‘Seniors’ was American/authoritarian; ‘Elderly’ – negative; ‘Aged’ – feeble; pensioner – associated with poverty and benefits.  ‘Older’ appears to be the most acceptable –after all you are older the day after your birth. But, overwhelmingly, older people just wanted to be ‘people’ 
and not a category.

 

There is the perception that older = social care/burden, but in fact only a small percentage of people require intensive social care.
Value older people. Worryingly ‘older’ appears to mean ‘less valued’.  Look at the high profile presenters who have been axed – apparently viewers like younger people!  Who says so? Self- development does not stop at 50, so stop patronising when the 50+ achieve - it is the norm.

 

Equality. Age must be treated as any other equality strand, so let’s make 2010 a campaign year to: have Clause 10 reinstated and made compulsory; challenge the stereotyping and language used; acknowledge that older people make huge contributions to the economy and society; and describe people in terms of who they are and what they do, not how old they are.

 

We are all individuals and everyone will either get older or die. How do journalists want to be treated when they are older?

 

Lynn Strother, Director of Greater London Forum 

 

(Photo courtesy of Virgin Media)