The Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT) is calling for the media and advertising industry to take action to make ageism a non-issue for the next generation of professionals.
EAT says it is a sad, and frightening, statistic that only 5% of the media's workforce is aged 50 or over, significantly lower (seven times less) than the Australian average.
The group, founded by industry figure Greg Graham, is using Global Ageism Awareness Day (October 7) as a platform to raise awareness of the impact of ageism in Australia’s media and advertising industry.
- The average age in the media industry is 32 years, compared to 39 years in the Australian workforce
- Only 18.5% of the media workforce is aged more than 40 years versus the Australian workforce at 62%.
- The average tenure in media is less than three years
- Less than 10% of the media industry has 16+ years experience
- Recruiters cite age discrimination as one of the biggest reasons a CV should not exceed 10 years
- In the media industry the younger generation’s narrative has shifted to: How long have I got left in the business; what’s my exit plan?
Immediate actions include:
- Challenge age-related biases and assumptions, fostering a workplace environment where expertise is celebrated irrespective of age.
- Take the pledge and show support by signing EAT’s Change Org petition.
- Do the SBS Age Diversity Model and Every Age Counts Quiz.
EAT is conducting initial research to assess the scale of the issue which will be followed by in-depth research for greater insight and explore solutions to address ageism issues.
Results from these studies will be shared to encourage agencies to take note and implement D&I initiatives that include ageism as a priority.
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