(b) Examples of positive portrayals While still perpetuating some of the negative stereotypes and tropes around ageing, SBS and the ABC were notable in their offering of more diverse portrayals of ageing and representations that demonstrated clear efforts to go beyond the usual negative dispositions about ageing. Case study: SBS and the ABC Compared to other media outlets, the ABC and SBS were notable for their efforts in providing content that: l l l approached ageing through an intersectional lens, for example, in this episode of SBS ‘Insight’, ‘Western society has a negative attitude towards ageing. Here’s why women need to change that: With each birthday, Faith Agugu embraces getting older. She believes many women have internalised the negative Western narrative that surrounds women and ageing’ and the ABC’s examination of positive ageing for the LGBTQIA+ community in ‘Coming up: Ageing Fabulously’42 directly countered ageist stereotypes, for example, ‘The problem with how we talk about ageing and the elderly: We need to foster a society that sees the value in all stages of life’ (SBS) and, ‘Ageism and ‘youth obsession’ contribute to grief in ageing Australians. How can that change?’ (ABC)43 framed the ageing process in a positive light, for example, ‘The joys of caring for ageing parents, despite the distance’ (ABC), People in their nineties [who] reveal the secrets to ageing well (SBS) and in this SBS English learning program episode, ‘Learn English: SBS Learn English will help you speak, understand and connect in Australia - Learn fun phrases you can use to describe the process of growing older’.44 The ABC’s article ‘Elderly farmer David Morris finds love while volunteering to drive cancer patients to treatment in Victoria’ provides a good example of non-ageist reporting that depicts an ordinary older Australian, who not only contributes to the betterment of society, but finds profound happiness in doing so.45 In particular, this story: l l l challenges stereotypes of isolated, lonely older people without partners presents an older person as not only involved in his community but as someone actively working to help make his community a better place does not resort to the ‘superhero’ trope whereby an older person must either perform a feat that most others could never aspire to, or patronises them for achieving something that would not otherwise be considered extraordinary for a younger person. Overview of literature review and content analysis 17