Portrayals of older people with dementia in Taiwanese newspapers

Abstract

This chapter examines how Taiwanese newspapers portray older people living with dementia. Prior (Western) literature has reported an absence of their voices in the news, which means that dementia is perceived as a fearsome and aggressive threat. Monitoring how people with dementia are portrayed in the media could help combat social ageism. This chapter presents a critical discourse analysis of Taiwanese news reports so as to further internationalise the growing body of work on the theme of ageing, disability and the media. The results revealed derogatory representations of older people living with dementia, given the way the Taiwanese newspapers reported on them, which implied their frailty, problems caused by their condition as well as their lack of functionalisation and individuality. Their health-related and age identities were particularly highlighted in reports. Via modes of address indicating intergenerational relationships, Taiwanese news readers were invited to show more empathy towards the subjects of the examined news stories. This representational strategy, unique to Taiwan, is further explained in the discussion in relation to Confucianism, in addition to interpretations of the ideological effects of the problem-oriented framing of older people living with dementia in Taiwanese news contexts.