Issues of Communication Representation of Older Adults on Government Websites
https://doi.org/10.21453/2311-3065-2026-14-1-137-149
Abstract
This study analyzes the portrayal of pensioners on the official websites of Russia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Social Fund of Russia. As a first attempt to track shifts in the state’s perception of the older generation, it employs content analysis of news section publications from the past decade. The research aims to correlate discourse dynamics with political developments, particularly following the pension age increase and the launch of the «Active Longevity» program. The analysis investigates the attributes assigned to pensioners in state rhetoric, considering the concept of traditional values, and examines how this narrative aligns with demographic strategies. It also compares the constructed images across the two agencies, including visual components. The findings reveal no unified image. The narrative splits: pensioners are depicted both as bearers of traditional family values and as socially active individuals striving for a vibrant post-retirement life. Consequently, their role lacks a definitive characterization, encompassing contradictory attributes.
About the Authors
I. A. Bykov
Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ilya Anatolyevich Bykov – DCs (Polit.), Professor of the Department of Public Relations in Politics and Public Administration
199034, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya Embankment, 7-9.
E. I. Sumarokova
Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Sumarokova Ekaterina Igorevna – Postgraduate Student
199034, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya Embankment, 7-9.
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Review
For citations:
Bykov I.A., Sumarokova E.I. Issues of Communication Representation of Older Adults on Government Websites. Communicology. 2026;14(1):137-149. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21453/2311-3065-2026-14-1-137-149
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