Why do newspapers condescend, patronise and misrepresent older people?

So why is there such a disconnect here? 
 
Well one reason is that newspapers merely reflect the ageism we see in society; the ageist language, the ageist ideas, the ageist stereotypes.  
 
Ageism is the most widespread form of discrimination in the UK and it occurs in every aspect of life. So why should the media be any different? Media reflects society’s ageism and it helps to perpetuate and normalise it.  
 
But newspapers also continue to print ageist phrases and articles because there is very little stopping them.  
 
In addition to laws surrounding freedom of expression, libel etc, newspapers are also supposed to adhere to the Editors’ Code of Practice – a framework by the industry’s regulator (IPSO) which is designed to uphold the highest professional standards. 
 
Clause 12 of the Editors’ Code states: “The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual’s race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.” 
 
How effective the clause is in ensuring fair representation of people and groups with those protected characteristics is up for debate but at least there is an expectation newspapers should not discriminate on those grounds and there are grounds for redress if they don’t. 
 
But one notable exception from that clause is age. A protected characteristic in the eyes of the law but not currently in the eyes of the newspaper industry.  
 
I think this is a startling omission and it seems that you agree too. The older people we spoke to about this issue agreed that this “Needs to change. Needs challenging.” 
 
Without a change, I fear newspapers will simply continue to perpetrate and promote damaging ageism - and to their own detriment because it will drive away the loyal customer base they so desperately need to maintain.  
 
Ageism is incredibly damaging for us as individuals and for wider society. It can result in people being discriminated against in the workplace, being denied access to potentially life-saving healthcare or cause us to modify our thinking and behaviour and limit our own lives.  
 
There are so many examples of ageism perpetuated in our print media. Often it’s subtle and insidious but just as damaging. Sometimes it is overt and shocking as the following examples of ageist headlines are and which create the strongest argument for change.  
 
How Anita Rani is scrapping the 'spinster' stereotype 
 
There are words that have no place in the 21st century and should be consigned to the dustbin of history. They reflect the morals and judgements of another age. 
 
The dictionary defines the word spinster as a dated and derogatory term for an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage. 
 
It's not a concept we recognise in society anymore, we recognise women to be so much more than commodities of marriage. So what is this antiquated word doing in this article? 
 
Although in inverted commas, it’s not quoting the term from something the Radio 4 presenter has said herself. Anita Rani herself is talking positively about blossoming in her 40s with newly acquired power and confidence. Spinster has just been inserted by a journalist to give the article an ageist and sexist slant.  
 
Texting with one finger – and 20 other habits that prove you’re a boomer  
 
While designed to be a little tongue in cheek, this article works to perpetuate ageist stereotypes about older people’s ability with technology. A stereotype which doesn’t really reflect that this is the most connected and tech-savvy group of older people ever – surveys have shown that over-70s are UK’s most online adults after twentysomethings. 

And while two in five of The Telegraph’s readership are “boomers”, the tone and premise of this article is that it is rather embarrassing to be a “boomer”.  

The term has become increasingly loaded with negativity in recent years – a shorthand for entitlement, wealth and privilege which cannot accurately portray millions of people born over a ten-year span and which ignores the 2 million pensioners living in poverty in the UK.  
 
Articles over the past year have accused boomers of stoking inflation by both simultaneously “penny pinching” and by splashing the cash on “cruises, golf and private health”. Damned if they do and damned if they don’t.  
 
The truth is Babyboomers are not responsible for all the ills of this world, there is more inequality within generations than between them and pitching one generation against another will not help create a better future.   
 
My fingers are wrinkled like an old person’s – don’t ignore my tips for aging hands & ditch 2 popular products 

So commonplace are media articles and adverts like this, they’ve lost their shock value. But we really need to be mindful of what they say and the values they perpetuate.    
 
Anti-ageing is of course an absurd idea, as if anyone can stop the passage of time.  
 
And it is an industry that is built on the idea that to age naturally is somehow undesirable and to be avoided at all costs and thus making millions of people feel self-conscious about a process which is of course completely natural.  

"Little old lady” wreaks havoc in busy high street when she reverses into shop 

Proof that ageism is not just limited to our national press.  
 
Here we have one of the most common ageist and sexist stereotypes that older people, and especially older women, are simply incompetent behind the wheel of a car. 
 
The stereotype of a little old lady is often used to infer that any female over the age of 60 is vulnerable, frail, helpless and pitiful. 
 
It is interesting to note that neither of the comments from official emergency services sources indicates an age or gender but the story is shaped by the eyewitness’s uncorroborated account.  
 
Also noticeable in the article is that the perpetrator of a similar event is described as a “male pensioner” rather than a “little old man” – again highlighting how ageism and sexism intersect.  

If like me you want to take a stand on ageist headlines and content like this, then please visit the Age Without Limits webpage and use our special form to tell IPSO why their Editors' Code of Practice needs to tackle ageism in the media.