While the research findings suggest that ageism has been normalised in contemporary media practice, this report identifies key opportunities for the media industry and age sector to take a strong, collaborative partnership approach to improving the accuracy, quantity and quality of coverage about older Australians and the issues that affect and matter to them. The three opportunities identified in this report are a call to action for the two sectors to proactively pursue and accelerate change across the media landscape. Opportunity 1: Addressing the expert gap There is opportunity for the media industry and age sector to work together to improve media access to relevant advocates and experts, so necessary context can be shared on stories around ageing, and the voices and experiences of older Australians represented. There was an almost unanimous view among those interviewed that a greater availability of spokespeople would result in more accurate and extensive media coverage, helping to reshape the narrative on ageing. Opportunity 2: Addressing the education and training gap The media sector is encouraged to expand and strengthen their existing diversity training for staff to specifically cover age and ageism. There is opportunity for the media industry and age sector to co-design tailored educational materials and training programs to inform media professionals and support improved editorial practices in reporting on age-related topics. Opportunity 3: Shifting the narrative on ageing There is an opportunity for the media industry and age sector to collectively embark on a new communication campaign, to combat ageism in the broader community, advance the business case within the media industry for more accurate and diverse representation of ageing, and improve media reporting standards on the coverage of different age groups. Executive summary 9