How newspaper images position different groups of people in relation to theCOVID‐19 pandemic: A social representations approach

Abstract

This study examines newspaper photographs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Finland. Drawing on social representations theory and positioning theory, we explore social representations and identities related to COVID‐19 in mass media using a visual rhetoric analysis. More specifically, we focus on how newspaper photographs construct subjects' positions for different age groups. The data consisted of 4,506 photographs of people published in the two largest Finnish newspapers between 1 January and 31 August 2020. The study identified the following subject positions for the different age groups: (a) children as controlled pupils and joyful players; (b) youth as future‐oriented graduates and reckless partygoers; (c) adults as authoritative experts, adaptive professionals, responsible caretakers and active recreationists and (d) elderly people as isolated loners. In addition to echoing the positions of villains, heroes and victims identified in previous studies, the photographs seemed to construct an intergroup divide between adults and the other age groups. Methodologically, this study elaborates the usefulness of the analysis of visual rhetoric in social representations research. Theoretically, we seek to advance the understanding of the role of media, particularly images, in the social construction of knowledge.

Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic

“…However, after Nature's declaration, CdS no longer made explicit reference to cultural aspects that characterised Chinese cuisine. As already underlined by the literature [49,55,56], these early signs of stigma attached to COVID-19 somehow intersected with the existing prejudices related to migratory processes. Worldwide, misinformation on the Internet fed by conspiracy theories was particularly prevalent with respect to COVID-19 and supported the construction of stigma as a defensive strategy, as widely demonstrated by TMT in similar situations where mortality salience was particularly intense [32][33][34][35][36]42].…”

“…Worldwide, misinformation on the Internet fed by conspiracy theories was particularly prevalent with respect to COVID-19 and supported the construction of stigma as a defensive strategy, as widely demonstrated by TMT in similar situations where mortality salience was particularly intense [32][33][34][35][36]42]. Because these psychosocial dynamics can reduce healthcare engagement and adherence to public health practices, as already demonstrated with HIV, and because they transform concrete action aimed at protecting public health into blame against those who are perceived as guilty [49,55,56], it would be particularly significant in the future, when other pandemics will plague the world, to find a communication strategy useful to prevent the stigma effect in the early stages of contagion.…”

“…Studies on the ways in which the media have handled the COVID-19 pandemic have already accounted for some important aspects, including the biases that characterise mass information [45] (AlAfnan, 2020), among which stigma and incitement to hatred emerge in importance [46] (Robie, Krishnamurthi, 2020), but have also underlined the ability to give scientifically correct information [47] (Anderson et al, 2021). They then considered effects from the resulting increase in perceived risk of contagion as well, including depression [48] (Olagoke et al, 2020), worry and fear [49,50] (Garfin et al, 2020; Manzoor & Safdar, 2020). Despite all these contributions, to date there is very little literature regarding how the press has addressed the current pandemic.…”

Lockdown Fits and Misfits: Disabled Young People’s Lives Under COVID-19 Lockdown

“…As the end part of the text the makes visible, this outsider position is not something that necessarily would be the narrator's choice. Not being able to have a similar lockdown experience as others and take heroic positions in narratives of this time-like being a teacher or a nurse (see Martikainen & Sakki, 2021)-is also something that is out of the reach of the narrator. They cannot even share the experience of investing in home life during lockdown, since 'for this I needs someone to help me, whether it is corona time or not'.…”

The Language of Risk and Vulnerability in Covering the COVID-19 Pandemic in Swedish Mass Media in 2020: Implications for the Sustainable Management of Elderly Care

“…In Sweden, as in other countries, the elderly are one of the population groups that have suffered the most from the pandemic, not only because of a vulnerability to the virus itself but also due to the position of the elderly in Swedish society [5]. The concept of ageism appears to have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden [5] as well as in many other countries such as the US, UK and Germany [17][18][19][20][21]. Overall, the findings reveal that the elderly are viewed as victims, as fragile and an at-risk group, which are images that connect to wider social practices and discourses regarding the elderly and ageing.…”