Empowering Seniors Since 1974

A funny thing happened on my way to way to becoming an expert on longevity and the media: I've aged on the age beat. Since writing my 1974 book, Senior Power: Growing Old Rebelliously, I've spent 20 years as Editor of Aging Today, newspaper of the American Society on Aging; and spent nine years as Elders Newsbeat Editor at New America Media/Pacific News Service. (See my full Bio page.) Now, in my "unretirement," I'm continuing as National Coordinator of the Journalists Network on Generations, the group I co-founded in 1993, and as editor of its e-newsletter Generations Beat Online New (GBONews.org).

Over the years I've written or edited thousands of articles on generational subjects, from family caregiving to the emerging age of robotics. What hasn't changed much, though, are the essential issues facing our rapidly aging society and the media's coverage of those concerns. I'm writing and speaking as a reporter less of the news than of the "olds"—that is, of the looming problems I've seen remain little changed in the headlines I've written and read over the decades.

TOPICS: I address such issues as:

  • The ageism permeating our social institutions, including the media;
  • The lack of a coherent long-term care system in the richest nation in history;
  • The growing crisis in retirement security for millions of older Americans;
  • The promise and challenges of Longevity Revolution, one of the greatest and least understood changes in human history.

I also highlight antidotes to the gloomy realities, such as well-tested solutions, best-practices and smarter approaches that can strengthen the public's grasp of that Longevity Revolution—the addition of more than 30 years to average life expectancy in merely one century—with a little help from a better-informed media.

AUDIENCES: As a communicator both for general audiences and professional groups in aging and journalism, I address ways that American society can reframe the public understanding of widely realized aging from that of a “silver tsunami” threatening to swamp our national budget, to one of a vital and under-used natural resource – a more seasoned population -- that can help us thrive in the 21st century.

LESSONS STILL TO LEARN: Beyond persistent policy issues, though, I’m revisiting the fundamental insights of true sages I’ve been privileged to meet throughout my career, people like Gray Panthers founder Maggie Kuhn, or Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomei, who once asked me why our media tells us “sex after 70 is great, but we are seldom told how wonderful wisdom is at 50 or 60.” My aim at this phase of my life is to explore how the words of wiser people I’ve met and interviewed over the decades may help enlighten our anti-aging culture.

PAUL ON THE SIXTIES Links to More Perspectives By Paul Kleyman

What People Say

  • For anyone who writes about America’s older population, Paul Kleyman is the go-to source. He knows all the players, understands the issues behind the rhetoric, and whatever the topic is, the chances are that he wrote about it a decade or two earlier. And he shares what he knows, for a simple reason: because he cares.

    John Leland, Reporter, New York Times, author of the, bestseller, Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons From a Year Among the Oldest Old

  • Paul is a gem. He has been an inspiration to all of us journalists who have grappled with the aging beat. His knowledge of the field is unsurpassed and his willingness to help others knows no bounds.

    Trudy Lieberman, Contributing Editor, Columbia Journalism Review

  • Paul Kleyman has many years of deep, first-hand knowledge about issues that pertain to the aging of our population. Because he is engaging and substantive, Paul is truly a worthwhile speaker for any audience.

    Jeanette C. Takamura, MSW, PhD, Dean Emerita and Professor, Columbia University School of Social Work; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Aging
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