Aging & Social Change: Eleventh Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting different age groups in various ways. It is creating more serious harm and potential morbidity to those people with underlying conditions and to those who belong to the older population. Inevitably, this has led to stricter health protocols and a substantial coverage of older people in the agenda setting of news reportage. In this study, the author seeks to examine the representations of elderly people of an online national daily in the Philippines. The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) is one of the most reputable newspapers in the country. Its news coverage has a potential to influence the behavior and perception of its readers. The Philippines is considered by critics as one of the countries with the longest lockdowns. It is also one of the countries that is unable to manage the pandemic well. With this scenario at hand, how are the older adults now represented in these trying times by the PDI? Based on the content analysis, preliminary findings revealed that older people were represented in an unflattering manner. They were allied to words such as deaths, vulnerable, weak, and care. Some news, however, covered survival and resilience among the senior citizens during this ongoing global pandemic. In view of these initial results, it is important that media take cognizant of these representations and discourses so as to avoid prejudiced actions and attitudes towards the older population who are amongst the at risk in this health crisis.