Mind the Gap between Perceptions & Reality - Nalaka Gunawardene keynote to HelpAge Asia Pacific Conference, 1 Sep 2014

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