Objectives Media sources have consistently described older adults as a medically vulnerable population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet a lack of concern over their health and safety has resulted in dismissal and devaluation. This unprecedented situation highlights ongoing societal ageism and its manifestations in public discourse. This analysis asks how national news sources performed explicit and implicit ageism during the first month of the pandemic. Method Using content and critical discourse analysis methods, we analyzed 287 articles concerning older adults and COVID-19 published between March 11 and April 10, 2020, in 4 major U.S.-based newspapers. Results Findings indicate that while ageism was rarely discussed explicitly, ageist bias was evident in implicit reporting patterns (e.g., frequent use of the term “elderly,” portrayals of older adults as “vulnerable”). Infection and death rates and institutionalized care were among the most commonly reported topics, providing a limited portrait of aging during the pandemic. The older “survivor” narrative offers a positive alternative by suggesting exceptional examples of resilience and grit. However, the survivor narrative may also implicitly place blame on those unable to survive or thrive in later life. Discussion This study provides insight for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners exploring societal perceptions of older adults and how these perceptions are disseminated and maintained by the media.

中文翻译：

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与 COVID 相关的报纸报道中的年龄歧视：大流行的第一个月

目标 媒体消息人士一直将老年人描述为 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 大流行期间的医学弱势群体，但对他们的健康和安全缺乏关注导致了解雇和贬值。这种前所未有的情况凸显了持续存在的社会年龄歧视及其在公共话语中的表现。该分析询问国家新闻来源在大流行的第一个月如何表现出明确和隐含的年龄歧视。方法 我们使用内容和批评话语分析方法，分析了 2020 年 3 月 11 日至 4 月 10 日期间在美国 4 家主要报纸上发表的 287 篇关于老年人和 COVID-19 的文章。结果 调查结果表明，虽然很少明确讨论年龄歧视，但年龄歧视的偏见在隐性报告模式中很明显（例如，经常使用“老年人”一词，将老年人描述为“弱势群体”）。感染率和死亡率以及机构化护理是最常报告的主题，在大流行期间提供了有限的老龄化画像。较早的“幸存者”叙述通过提出韧性和毅力的特殊例子提供了一个积极的选择。然而，幸存者的叙述也可能含蓄地将责任归咎于那些无法在以后的生活中生存或茁壮成长的人。讨论 本研究为政策制定者、研究人员和从业人员探索社会对老年人的看法以及媒体如何传播和维护这些看法提供了见解。在大流行期间提供有限的老龄化画像。较早的“幸存者”叙述通过提出韧性和毅力的特殊例子提供了一个积极的选择。然而，幸存者的叙述也可能含蓄地将责任归咎于那些无法在以后的生活中生存或茁壮成长的人。讨论 本研究为政策制定者、研究人员和从业人员探索社会对老年人的看法以及媒体如何传播和维护这些看法提供了见解。在大流行期间提供有限的老龄化画像。较早的“幸存者”叙述通过提出韧性和毅力的特殊例子提供了一个积极的选择。然而，幸存者的叙述也可能含蓄地将责任归咎于那些无法在以后的生活中生存或茁壮成长的人。讨论 本研究为政策制定者、研究人员和从业人员探索社会对老年人的看法以及媒体如何传播和维护这些看法提供了见解。