In 2002, HelpAge International's Asia Pacific regional development centre conducted a survey to find out what older people in Asia think of the media and how it portrays them. Commissioned as part of a Department For International Development (DFID)-funded project, the survey was conducted in 28 rural and urban locations in 9 countries - Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In general, researchers found that older people want to be well informed, to have access to all kinds of media, and to participate fully in contemporary life. Although stereotypes portray older people as uninterested or resistant to change, respondents displayed an interest in the world around them. They said that there should be more media content geared toward older people in all the media, and that the elderly should be more involved in media production.

In terms of particular types of media, the research found that oral communication still plays a central role in providing information and entertainment for older people, especially in rural areas. However, because traditional ways of sharing information are breaking down, researchers claim that older people can be left without the basic information they need. Those with visual or hearing difficulties, the survey found, were particularly isolated. In addition, researchers concluded that TV and radio are more likely than newspapers to be equally accessible to older women and men. Older women are less likely to spend time in those public places where newspapers are available and their literacy levels tend to be lower than those of older men.

Click here for the full survey in PDF format.

Letter sent from Sarah Graham-Brown to the Communication Initiative on September 5 2003; and "Talking back: how older people experience Asia's media" on the HelpAge International site.