This study examines newspaper photographs related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. Drawing on social representations theory and positioning theory, we explore social representations and identities related to COVID-19 in mass media using a visual rhetoric analysis. More specifically, we focus on how newspaper photographs construct subjects' positions for different age groups. The data consisted of 4,506 photographs of people published in the two largest Finnish newspapers between 1 January and 31 August 2020. The study identified the following subject positions for the different age groups: (a) children as controlled pupils and joyful players; (b) youth as future-oriented graduates and reckless partygoers; (c) adults as authoritative experts, adaptive professionals, responsible caretakers and active recreationists and (d) elderly people as isolated loners. In addition to echoing the positions of villains, heroes and victims identified in previous studies, the photographs seemed to construct an intergroup divide between adults and the other age groups. Methodologically, this study elaborates the usefulness of the analysis of visual rhetoric in social representations research. Theoretically, we seek to advance the understanding of the role of media, particularly images, in the social construction of knowledge.

中文翻译：

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报纸图片如何定位与 COVID-19 大流行相关的不同人群：一种社会表征方法

这项研究检查了与芬兰 COVID-19 大流行相关的报纸照片。借鉴社会表征理论和定位理论，我们使用视觉修辞分析探索大众媒体中与 COVID-19 相关的社会表征和身份。更具体地说，我们关注报纸照片如何为不同年龄组构建主题位置。该数据包含 2020 年 1 月 1 日至 8 月 31 日期间在芬兰两大报纸上发表的 4,506 张人物照片。该研究确定了不同年龄组的以下主题位置：(a) 儿童是受控的学生和快乐的玩家；(b) 青年作为面向未来的毕业生和鲁莽的聚会者；(c) 成年人作为权威专家、适应性专业人士、负责任的看护者和积极的娱乐者，以及 (d) 老年人作为孤立的孤独者。除了与先前研究中确定的恶棍、英雄和受害者的立场相呼应外，这些照片似乎在成年人和其他年龄组之间建立了一个群体间的鸿沟。在方法论上，本研究阐述了视觉修辞分析在社会表征研究中的有用性。从理论上讲，我们寻求促进对媒体，特别是图像在知识的社会建构中的作用的理解。本研究阐述了视觉修辞分析在社会表征研究中的有用性。从理论上讲，我们寻求促进对媒体，特别是图像在知识的社会建构中的作用的理解。本研究阐述了视觉修辞分析在社会表征研究中的有用性。从理论上讲，我们寻求促进对媒体，特别是图像在知识的社会建构中的作用的理解。