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Framing Later Life Vulnerability during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Content Analysis of Newspaper Coverage in Canada and the United States
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 April 2024
Abstract
This study explores vulnerability narratives used in relation to older adults and others during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method content analysis was conducted of 391 articles published in two major newspapers in Canada and the USA during the first wave of the pandemic. The findings indicated that during the early months of the pandemic, limited attention was directed towards its impact on older adults or other ‘vulnerable’ subpopulations in both countries. Where evident, intrinsic (individual-level) risk factors were most consistently used to frame the vulnerability of older adults. In contrast, vulnerability was more likely to be framed as structural with regard to other subpopulations (e.g., ethno-racial minorities). These narratives also differed somewhat in Canadian and US newspapers. The framing of older adults as intrinsically vulnerable reflects ageist stereotypes and promotes downstream policy interventions. Greater attention is needed to the role of structural factors in influencing pandemic-related outcomes among older adults.
Résumé
Cette étude examine les discours à propos de la vulnérabilité des personnes âgées au cours de la pandémie de COVID-19. Une méthode mixte d’analyse de contenu a été appliquée à 391 articles publiés au cours de la première vague de la pandémie dans deux grands journaux du Canada et des États-Unis. Les résultats indiquent que pendant les premiers mois de la pandémie, une attention limitée a été accordée à ses effets sur les personnes âgées ou d’autres sous-groupes de population « vulnérables » dans les deux pays. Les facteurs de risque intrinsèques (à l’échelle individuelle), lorsqu’ils étaient évidents, étaient les plus régulièrement cités pour cerner la vulnérabilité des personnes âgées. Par contre, les journaux avaient davantage tendance à présenter la vulnérabilité comme un phénomène structurel lorsqu’il s’agissait d’autres sous-groupes de population (p. ex., les minorités ethno-raciales). Ces discours différaient quelque peu entre les journaux canadiens et américains. La présentation des personnes âgées comme étant intrinsèquement vulnérables véhicule des stéréotypes âgistes et favorise les interventions en aval. Une plus grande attention doit être accordée à l’incidence des facteurs structurels sur les répercussions de la pandémie pour les personnes âgées.
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- © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2024
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