Jornalismo ambiental, envelhecimento demográfico e universidade aberta à terceira idade: a tese do empoderamento

The world is aging. This subject is becoming more and more present on the communication media. The future journalists must be made aware of this phenomena that involves a important change in the society. One of the ways can be the study of the empowerment and Social Capital Formation techniques, using the new Information and Communication Technologies, or following the example of the Open Universities to the Third Age that are appearing all over the world. In this article we’ll study the case of “Programa Universitario para Mayores” (University Program for the Grown ups), at Seville University (Spain).

Jornalismo ambiental, envelhecimento demográfico e universidade aberta à terceira idade: a tese do empoderamento

This paper proposes a reflection of media’s role and its relationship with global phenomena of demographic aging. From a critical point of view of empowerment’s concepts and social capital, it suggests that journalists can give more visibility to the perspective of senior citizens’ inclusion in social life through a better use of ICTs and the insertion of more diverse subjects such as universities opened to Third Age. It suggests also that this theme should be developed in training future professionals, so the media can enhance others representations of excluded groups with more social responsibility.