Aging and the media in Spain: Reinforcement of ageism in times of COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has made older adults one of the main foci of media. This article explores age-related language through a comparative analysis of headlines in the five highest-circulation Spanish newspapers during the first and second waves of the 2020 pandemic and the 2 years before the pandemic. The results show a decrease in the frequency of headlines that represent older people as subjects of an action associated to positive affection, as well as an increase in representation of older adults as a homogenous group in a negative way, and an increase in ageist terms, especially “elders.” We discuss to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic can reinforce ageism and the possible repercussions.