Working with the media

Media is a pervasive force in all of our lives. Working with the media, some of the same questions arise. Chief among these are questions about how to refer to older people and what are

What's in a name?

The term we use at Age & Opportunity is 'older people'. In a Europe-wide survey in 1992, people aged 65 and over were asked what do you want to be called? The two terms that were most popular were 'older people' and 'senior citizen'. Like the UN, the EU and other European and international organisations, we at Age & Opportunity use the term 'older people'. It has the advantage of being straightforward and not absurdly optimistic. In Ireland, the term 'senior citizen' is popular with some older people.

The term 'the elderly' was firmly rejected in these surveys. Yet it remains the most commonly used term in the health services and in the media. It is, to say the least, impersonal.

Newspapers often use the word 'old' or 'elderly' preceded with terms such as 'feeble,' 'terrified' or 'unsuspecting' and followed by 'and vulnerable.' In churches, prayers are offered for '...the poor, the sick and the old'.' This tendency can reinforce a notion that being vulnerable or in need is necessarily a feature of older age and not a result of inadequate social provision.

The term 'older people' is straightforward. It does not deny ageing and it carries a recognition that ageing is a relative thing.

Media Representations

As older people, how we are represented in the media can have an effect on how we participate in society. Age & Opportunity commissioned a preliminary examination of how older people are represented in printed newspapers and how these newspapers treat issues to do with ageing.

This analysis explores whether older people are adequately and fairly represented in newspapers in Ireland. It asks basic questions such as: do older people have a presence in our newspapers? Are stories about older people published? And if so, what types of stories about older people reach the public? And what sorts of language and images are used to present these stories?