A comparative study of multi-ethnic perspectives on aging in Malaysian newspapers

Abstract

Media plays an important role in representing cultural beliefs about aging, and the influence of cultural and societal factors on the portrayal of aging is well documented. Malaysia, with its diverse demographics of different ethnicities, religions, and languages, provides a unique context for investigating how aging is represented. This study employed framing as the theoretical framework and qualitative content analysis as the research method to compare the portrayal of aging in Malaysian newspapers published in Malay, Chinese, and English. In addition, a popular online-only newspaper in the country was included in the analysis. The findings showed an emphasis on the well-being/welfare of older people in Malaysian newspapers; however, the discourse reflected elements of paternalism and ageism, with the voices of older adults having limited representation. The implications of these findings were discussed in relation to the media’s role in reporting the aging process.