Media construction of reality represenation of Old People and Old Age in the Czech Media Mgr. Renta

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Media construction of reality represenation of
Old People and Old Age in the Czech MediaMgr.
Renáta Sedláková, Ph.D.renata.sedlakova_at_upmedia.c
zDepartment of journalism Palacký University in
Olomouc Mgr. Lucie Vidovicová,
Ph.D.lucie.vidovic_at_seznam.czResearch Institute
for Labour and Social Affairs
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REASONS FOR RESEARCH

• demographic changes ageing of the Czech/EU
  population
• age as a social construct
• media as key agents participating on the proces
  of the social construction of reality

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MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY

• Media are
• the main source of knowledge about
  outer world. Their power is especially in the
  cases about which we do not have our own
  experiences.
• "Here may lie the most important effect of mass
  communication, its ability to mentally order and
  organize our world for us. In short, the mass
  media may not be successful in telling us what to
  think, but they are stunningly successful in
  telling us what to think about" Shaw McCombs
  1977.

• representation of reality in the media
• representation of the Others in the media

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why media really matter

• But why such old ladies? And why such cruel
  attacks, not just the judge but also the
  associate justice asked.
• Old people are trustful and inattentive. I
  learned from the media how easily they could be
  deceived, the monstrous human explained how his
  long series of crimes had started.
  (Blesk 14. 7. 2004, p. 6)

media representation as a self-fulfilling prophecy
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MEDIA

• do not reflect reality, but create it - theory
  of media construction of reality (agenda
  setting,topic selection)
• create images
• (re)produce stereotypes
• ascribe meaning to people, events

? have the power to exclude or include social
groups and individuals
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• 2 waves of research year 2004 and 2008
• - analysis of printed media nationwide
  dailies Mladá fronta Dnes, Právo, Lidové noviny,
  Hospodárské noviny, Blesk Aha, íp
  (cca 18 000 articles)
• - analysis of the main news services of
  nationwide television channels Czech television
  (public service broadcaster) - Události
• Nova (commercial) - Televizní noviny
• Prima (commercial) Deník (cca 700
  pieces of news)
• content analysis interpretative sociological
  reading
• key words senior, seniors, pension,
  (male/female) pensioner, retirement, retired
  person, old age, old aged people, old, old woman,
  old man, elderly, elderly person, grandmother,
  grandfather.
• - only transcriptions (written part) of the news
  (without visual part of the news and pictures)

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Quantity of news issued in 2004 and 2008
UNDERREPRESENTATION
66
50
J. Hartley myth of marginality coverage which
overrides complexity of the life of minorities
and starves for the news from mainstream society
simplyfication, generalization and positioning
to the margin of the society increasing
coverage of minorities does not mean
simultaneously their understanding
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Share of messages by media type
9
Significance of the article
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Thematic frames of printed articles
62
64
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Thematic frames of television news
78
64
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What is not mentioned/presented

• John Hartley for analysis of representation of
  any event/person or group is also very important
  what is not presented what remains hidden?
• ageism, discrimination
• everyday life
• heterogeneity within the group of older people
• realised activities
• feminization of old age
• intergenerational relations
• domestic violence

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CRIME

• Old people as victims of crimes
• defenceless, lonely, trustful grandmams
  kind-hearted granies and grandadies
• Hasici je povaují za podvodníky a varují pred
  nimi hlavne duverivé duchodce. CT1
  28.1.2008
• Old people as ofenders or accused of crimes
• trafic accident, curious crimes shouting,
  growing marihuana, maltreat of annimals and
  people
• Po chvíli se rozzurený duchodce dostal od slov k
  cinum. Domu si doel pro plynovou pistoli.
  NOVA 9.4.2008

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Kam zmizela demografická panika?

• fenomén verejne artikulovaných obav z budoucího
  vývoje spolecností na základe menící se
  demografické struktury jejich populace, který
  vychází z predpokladu, e spolecnost ztratí svuj
  blahobyt, dojde-li k zestárnutí její vekové
  struktury. (Walker 2002,
  Bytheway 1995)
• morální panika - postup, kterým média prispívají
  k sociální stigmatizaci ci exkluzi
  skupin/jedincu, je sama nejprve oznacila jako
  deviantní/nebezpecné (my vs. oni)
  (Cohen 1967)
• V roce 2050 se Cesko zmení v zemi duchodcu
  
  NOVA 8. 1. 2004
• Ackoli byla v roce 2008 schválena
  novela duchodové reformy, vcetne posunutí hranice
  vstupu do duchodu do vyího veku, televize ve
  zpravodajství demografické zmeny ceské populace v
  této souvislosti netematizovala.

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INFOTEINMENT

• INFORMATION ENTERTAINMENT
• Language key tool of construction of reality
  power feature of significantion of the Others -
  social exclusion
• Pro zlodeje jsou toti duchodci snadnou
  koristí. PRIMA 22.1.2008
• not neutral emotive symptomatic significations
• spousta babicek z domova duchodcu posílaly
  napletený backurky.
• 
  CT1 5.9.2008
• Sedmdesáti sedmiletá babicka byla podchlazená,
  ale komunikovala.
• 
  
  CT1 29.1.2008
• dramatization
• poplatky definitivne znemoní temto lidem
  dustojný ivot.
• 
  NOVA 10.2.2008
• impact on emotions and personalization
• Jen krucek od smrti byla sedmapadesátiletá
  invalidní duchodkyne z Karlových Varu. Bála se,
  jít k lékari. NOVA
  15.1.2008

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DOES AGE MATTER?

• Nicola Smith (man) hurt in a car accident.
• George Smith (Romany) hurt in a car accident.
• Mary Smith (68) hurt in a car accident.

Journalists tend to overuse indication of
chronological age of the actors of presented
events. Age quoted also in irrelevant cases.
Multiplication of status.
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BASIC FINDINGS

• old people and old age topics are still marginal
  in media
• Information presented from the majority point of
  view
• older people are used as commentators of
  specific events (ekonomic crisis, price raising,
  rental regulation) and mentioned as primary
  endangered group (e.g. of
  health risks)
• Ekologická reforma se dotkne stovek tisíc lidí.
  Nejvíce pokozeni budou duchodci. CT1
  6.1.2008
• Seniori jsou tedy nemoci vydáni stále na
  pospas. PRIMA 25.1.2008
• active older people (e.g. celebrities, artists)
  presented and celebrated as an exception
• No a ted vám ukáeme slíbeného mue, jeho
  vitalitu mu mueme vichni skutecne jen závidet,
  Je mu neuveritelných sto jedna let a poslouchejte
  dobre, prítí mesíc v Londýne pobeí maraton.
  NOVA 13.3.2008

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In comparision with the year 2004

• increase of articles (Právo, Lidové noviny and
  CT)
• widening of spectra of thematic frames of
  presented news more attention devoted to social
  politics and social work and news about daily
  events, but still a quarter of news about crimes
• decline of infantilization, patronizing and
  elderspeak
• decline of news about demography
• emerge little difference between commercial
  media and media of public service and quality
  press
• SIMPLYFYING IMAGE WITH FEATURES
  REFERRING TO MYTHS OF OLD AGE AND STEREOTYPES
  old poor trustful and endangered

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Takhle nejak vypadá vední den ceského duchodce.
Ráno vstane, nasnídá se. Koukne na seriál, uvarí
obed a pak si trochu odpocine. Pak procházka
nebo nákup. Vecer zase televize. Jinou monost
stejne jako dalích více ne dva miliony ceských
duchodcu v podstate nemá. Chybí vyití a taky
peníze. PRIMA 2.3.2008

• Thank you for your attention.