mind the gap between perceptions & reality - nalaka gunawardene keynote to helpage asia pacific...
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Plenary talk by Nalaka Gunawardene at the HelpAge Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2014 on "Older People in Ageing Societies: Burden or Resource?" held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1 to 4 Sep 2014.TRANSCRIPT
Mind the Gap between
Perceptions & Reality
HelpAge Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2014Older People in Ageing Societies:
Burden or Resource?Chiang Mai, Thailand: 1-4 Sep 2014
Plenary address by Nalaka Gunawardene Science writer & communications consultant
My world… Journalist: Professional sceptic & asker-of-questions
Interviewer on broadcast TV Moderator at technical and public policy events
Switching between micro & macro in analysis: Columnist (newspaper, biz magazine, science website) Op-ed essayist (national & international newspapers)
Public communicator of science & development Producing videos & web content on development issues Training advocacy groups & researchers on communicating
well to policy makers & the public
Participants & trainers of HelpAge Asia & TVE Asia Pacific Regional Media training workshop on ‘Understanding Ageing
and Development in the Asia Pacific’ Chiang Mai, Thailand: 17 – 22 Nov 2003
My coverage today… Public Perceptions & Reality:
Gaps in understanding world as is Times of rapid local & global change Most people form opinions on perceptions Perceptions also shape public policy, investment Change is all about managing perceptions
Conundrum: More info, less clarity Modern communications: mixed blessing How to ride the wave to where we want?
My coverage today…contd. We are what we PERCEIVE Factors shaping our perceptions incl:
Mass media: coverage, biases, distortions Formal & informal education Cultural factors (very specific to each society) Advertising & ‘spin’ (even in development sector)
Perceptions change (but slowly) as individuals grow & societies evolve…
Such change can be influenced!
Need to VERIFY impressions…so we can grasp the full picture! This is the way
Off-the-mark Public perceptions… Presume an issue LESS critical than it really is
(e.g. US public on climate change) OR -- Imagine an issue to be MORE critical than it is
(e.g. health hazards of mobile phone use)In both cases, distorted perceptions can: Create confusion, alarm, even panic Distort policy & regulatory processes Perpetuate societal myths & prejudices Lead to pervasive discrimination
Examples from a current concern:Human-induced climate change
A Tale of Two Worlds? This is the way
Climate change communication lessons #1Noise drowns many real debates This is the way
Climate change communication lessons #2Some people are truly confused This is the way
Climate change communication lessons #3Expert analyses can be inconvenient… This is the way
Climate change communication lessons #4Politicians react more to public opinion This is the way
Ageing has its own share!Headlines from across Asia… ‘Ageing time bomb will
change the way we live’ ‘Ageing tsunami warning!’ ‘Ageing seniors risk
budget crisis’ Populations ageing is a
‘daunting challenge’
Ageism in news, images, cartoons
A Tale of Two Worlds? This is the way
Bangkok Post, 9 Aug 2014
A Tale of Two Worlds? This is the way
Nature of news media Focus on everything out of the
ordinary, even negative Tends to be fleeting: nuggets of
info, on-the-run Underlying factors barely probed
or fully ignored News as events, not processes Hooked on ‘soundbites’ Oversimplifications common
Let’s remember:MEDIA is a plural! Media isn’t just news… Perceptions shaped even more by
entertainment content (soap operas, game shows, comedy)
Media is highly DIVERSE: More colourful in Asian languages State or corporate owned Some community owned (radio) New media elements (blogs, FB, Twitter)
Mass media as 21st Century Pied Pipers? TV still dominant source of
public info in most developing Asian societies
Promotes certain images, lifestyles & even myths
Pipers’ tunes may be fully sponsored…
Freedom to do this can’t be blocked in societies with market economy
Media Dependency Syndrome?
Also remember:Media is a mirror & platform… Media mirrors our societies
& times (often with biases) A contested space: different
views can and must clash! Best media accommodate
wide range of views Media freedom: core value
of pluralistic societies There is no global conspiracy
to dumb down public mind
Mass media as Pied Pipers:What can we do to change? Timeless advice: Caveat
emptor (Buyer beware!) We can & must strengthen
media literacy = ability to consume media products with a critical thinking
Also work with media owners, managers & content producers News & current affairs Entertainment
Media can be big part of the solution
Participants & trainers of HelpAge Asia & TVE Asia Pacific Regional Media training workshop on ‘Understanding Ageing
and Development in the Asia Pacific’ Chiang Mai, Thailand: 17 – 22 Nov 2003
Small Step in a Long Journey Most participants came with narrow views:
Older people being neglected, destitute Inadequate social spending on care Poverty, unemployment, ill-health nexus
During 7-day workshop, they learnt: Demographic trends & transitions Economic imperatives of populations ageing Socio-economic potential of older people Need to see & go beyond stereotyping Key role of media in shaping public/policy minds
“The year-end documentary gave me a wide array of windows to showcase what I learned in Chiang Mai. I presented 2003 (retrospective) in the eyes older people - leaders, historians, political analysts and common citizens: news that was and lessons people did or didn’t learn…
“My supervisors were a bit wary about the concept because it could kill ABS-CBN's ratings…
“Prime time slot on Dec 28, 2003 at 9 pm. We outdid competition!”
Baby Ruth Villarama, then News & Current Affairs Producer with ABS-CBN Network in the Philippines
There IS another wayto showcase older people’s voices!
Adding Life to Years: Adding Life to Years: East and South East Asian Broadcast Roundtable onUnderstanding Ageing as a Development Issue. 24 - 26 Nov 2004. Pattaya, Thailand
Our Media ‘Ecosystem’ Mainstream media:
a highly contested space; marketplace of ideas; platform for discussion & debate
Social media: also a very cacophonous place; highly individualistic;
Both have noise + some utility & vast reach
Source: Measuring the Information Society 2013 Report byInternational Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Social Media: A billion conversations unfolding…
Online media based on: conversations interactions between users
who maybe anywhere Can involve:digital words/sounds/images, video/combination
Sept 2013: Facebook’s digital map shows inter-connected relationships through their social media platform
Social Media: Coping with Global Cacophony?
Twitter, Facebook, other platforms chatter 24/7
Even cautious users can get overwhelmed quickly!
How to sustain useful conversations amidst noise?
Cyber civility in decline ‘Topic moments’ are getting
shorter & shorter
Development Community:Trying hard to be heard in cacophony! State media domination mostly over Private media numerous, audience scattered Younger people more with web & mobiles Era of memes, selfies, viral videos How to get just 15 SECONDS of attention? Enter ‘spin doctors’: jazzing up messages! Alarmism, distortions can happen Where is reflective discussion & debate?
Wanted: A new visual symbol More POSITIVE! Reflecting today’s
active ageing Easily recognised
across cultures Not confused with
any other activity I’m crowdsourcing…
Towards a New visual identity…
Comments from Twitter & Facebook: “Totally agree! Especially the need to
move away from 'stick supporting man, man supporting woman' image!”
“Changing symbol is just a first step. Prejudices run deep. We need to work long and hard on changing them.”
“Symbols don’t really matter. Issue runs deeper. Don’t settle for cosmetic change…”
How to communicate ageing issues -without stereotyping
Inforgraphic by HelpAge
Questions to discuss further…
Broadcast channel proliferation and rising numbers using the web means: mass audience is now fragmented as never before. Yet media remains a key shaper of public perceptions & policy. What is the best way to influence a positive change in how media covers issues of ageing and older people?
Questions to discuss further…
Besides media, other factors shaping public perceptions include education, culture, family background and the role played by older people themselves. How can older people be more involved in changing society’s negative perceptions about themselves?
Questions to discuss further…
What can we learn from how public perceptions were successfully changed in other social development sectors, such as in disability rights, women's rights and children's rights? What did advocacy groups do right to change prevailing prejudices and policies?
- A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
Change is slow & incremental
For a fact-based view of our world
Listen to Dr Hans Rosling of GapMinderhttp://www.gapminder.org
Thank You!
Blog: http://nalakagunawardene.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/NalakaG
Column: http://collidecolumn.wordpress.com
All images used non-commercially and in good faith