Constructing old age: How Newspapers Use Bias and Persuasion to Shape the Aging Discourse

Abstract

Among the many social issues examined through an ideologic-al framework, aging appears to be particularly significant, with media representations playing a pivotal role in its discursive con-struction. This paper examines the construal of old age using ideologically charged language and framing strategies in news-paper discourse. Applying the methodology of critical discourse analysis to The Guardian arti-cles, the study illuminates how narratives about aging reflect and reinforce societal norms, cultural assumptions, and policy interpretations. By analyzing the use of expert opinions, older adults’ voices, and intertextual references, the paper identifies dominant themes such as med-icalization, economic burden, ac-tive aging , and intergenerational tensions. Moreover, the study argues that newspaper discourse not only mirrors public attitudes towards older adults but active-ly participates in shaping them, privileging certain identities, while marginalizing others.