Ageism in the media agenda: journalistic coverage of the "I'm old, not an idiot" campaign

Abstract

This article examines the media coverage of the citizen campaign “I’m old, not an idiot” (“Soy mayor, no idiota”), led by Carlos San Juan, as a paradigmatic case to analyze the social representations of older adults during a communication crisis, particularly in relation to digital exclusion in the Spanish banking system. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework that integrates ageism studies, crisis communication, social agency, and framing theory, the study explores how media narratives reproduce, challenge, or transform ageist discourse. The research employs a mixed-method approach with an exploratory and cross-sectional design, combining quantitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis of 435 journalistic pieces retrieved from the FACTIVA database. Findings reveal predominantly inclusive media coverage, with positive portrayals of older adults as autonomous and empowered actors. However, there is a notable lack of explicit mention of the term “ageism,” pointing to a significant gap between the practical recognition of the issue and its normative identification as a form of discrimination. Furthermore, institutional actors tend to adopt an instrumental approach, favoring technical solutions over rights-based perspectives. The study concludes that the campaign represents a compelling example of civic agency exercised in later life, with the capacity to influence both media and institutional agendas. Nevertheless, challenges remain in achieving the semantic consolidation of ageism as a political, communicative, and legal category.