Towards a More Democratic Forum: Source Analysis of News Reporting on Older People's Problems in Delo during the Slovenian Parliamentary Elections from 2004 to 2018

Abstract

While an increasing number of studies provide important
insights into media construction of old age, the structure of news
sources is seldom examined. The latter is especially important in
democratic societies, during election years, when people elect
representatives who tackle older people's social problems. Using
content analysis, we examined the source structure of news
articles reporting on older people's problems in the Slovenian
newspaper Delo in five sequential parliamentary election years
from 2004 to 2018. The findings showed that news coverage
was predominantly constructed by elite sources rarely including
representatives of older people. This characteristic strengthens
the surveillance function of Delo but undermines its role as a
democratic forum. However, during the last three observed
election years, Delo's news reporting showed signs of
transitioning towards a more democratic forum, which holds
potential for fostering older people's civic inclusion.