Representations of older adults in COVID-related newspaper articles: A comparison between the perspectives of older and younger adults

During the COVID-19 pandemic, media sources discussed diverse perspectives on aging and older adults, providing opportunities to examine representations of older adults during times of crisis. This study aims to explore representations of older adults during the first month of the pandemic in the U.S. by comparing the perspectives of older and younger adults in national newspapers. A systematic search identified 115 articles published in four major newspapers in the U.S. between March 11 and April 10, 2020, in which older and younger adults were quoted on topics related to the intersection of COVID-19 and aging. Quotes were inductively reviewed using content and thematic analytic strategies. A total of 265 quotes were identified from older adults (n = 104, 39%) and younger adults (n = 161, 61%). We identified three primary themes: impacts on “vulnerable” older adults, debates over the value of older adults' lives, and a counternarrative of resiliency. Older adults were represented as a vulnerable group during the pandemic, in need of protection and support, while debates over the value of their lives similarly evoke images of frailty and dependency. Such depictions frame older adults as a burden on society and reduce their agency and subjectivity. Ageist biases were not only present in quotes from public figures and professionals, but also evident in quotes from older adults themselves. However, older adults also spoke to their own resiliency, survival, and strengths, thereby positioning themselves as elders worthy of respect and able to share wisdom with younger generations. These findings highlight the importance of listening to older adults' voices in order to understand their experiences from their own perspectives through their own agentive positioning and promoting intentionally age-positive and nuanced representations of older adults in public discourse.