Between Accommodating and Activating: Framing Policy Reforms in Response to Workforce Aging across Europe

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Political Science
• Media Studies

Background:

• European governments have increasingly adopted activating policy reforms to enhance older workers' employment and employability.
• These reforms signify a major shift in perspectives on work and retirement, necessitating an understanding of their public reception.
• Competitive framing in news media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and policy support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing the success and failure of pro- and counter-activating policy frames in European news coverage.
• To analyze the interplay between economic, policy, and political contexts and the evolution of competing frames.
• To understand how news representations of active aging emerge and potentially foster support for policy reforms.

Main Methods:

• Time-series analysis using ordinary least squares with panel-corrected standard errors.
• Analysis of monthly aggregated news coverage from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Spain (2006-2013).
• Examination of competitive framing dynamics related to activating policies for older workers.

Main Results:

• Pro-activating and counter-activating frames often coexist within competitive framing environments.
• The pro-activating frame was more prevalent during periods of high employment protection.
• The counter-activating frame was stronger in conservative newspapers, gained traction after the financial crisis, and during left-leaning governments.

Conclusions:

• Economic, policy, and political contexts significantly influence the emergence and development of competing issue frames.
• Understanding these contextual factors is key to comprehending news representations of active aging.
• Findings contribute to fostering support for policy reforms aimed at sustaining older workers' employability in Europe.