Towards a More Democratic Forum: Source Analysis of News Reporting on Older People's Problems in Delo during the Slovenian Parliamentary Elections from 2004 to 2018

While an increasing number of studies provide important insights into media construction of old age, the structure of news sources is seldom examined. The latter is especially important in democratic societies, during election years, when people elect representatives who tackle older people's social problems. Using content analysis, we examined the source structure of news articles reporting on older people's problems in the Slovenian newspaper Delo in five sequential parliamentary election years from 2004 to 2018. The findings showed that news coverage was predominantly constructed by elite sources rarely including representatives of older people. This characteristic strengthens the surveillance function of Delo but undermines its role as a democratic forum. However, during the last three observed election years, Delo's news reporting showed signs of transitioning towards a more democratic forum, which holds potential for fostering older people's civic inclusion.