Discursive construction of identities for older people in news: A critical discourse analysis of Malaysian newspapers

Abstract

This article examines how Malaysian journalists discursively construct identities for older people through the manipulation of language, reporting styles and the prioritization of certain news actors and their voices over others. Based on a critical discourse analysis of newspaper articles published between 2011 and 2021, this study reveals the social, cultural, journalistic and economic forces that affect how the media construct ‘older’ people. We demonstrate that newspapers in Malaysia construct identities through familial discourses, which indicates that the dependence of older people on family plays a significant role in the way they are perceived and constructed by the media. Journalists construct and propagate narratives that place the responsibility for caring for elderly Malaysians on family members. These narratives appear to absolve the government of responsibility for this role.