A Semiotic Study on the Representation of Elderly People in the Media in the Context of Poverty

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to reveal how elderly people are represented in the media in the context of poverty. In line with this purpose, answers are sought to the questions such as “How are elderly people represented in news visuals in the context of poverty?”, “What messages are conveyed in news visuals about elderly poverty?”, “What kind of a call is made to the society in news visuals about elderly poverty?”. Target population of the study is formed by the visuals appearing in the media about elderly poverty. Within the scope of the study, seven news visuals that are considered to represent the target population in the best way have been selected from various news websites in accordance with the objective sample and included in the scope of the study. The selected visuals have been analyzed by semiotic analysis method based on Roman Jakobson's concepts of metonomy function, metaphor function, emotive function, referential function, conative function. As a result of the study, it has been observed that the poverty of the elderly negatively affects the elderly individuals financially and spiritually, makes their lives difficult, and forces them to work.