Media Framing

“Choosing where a story begins already suggests what counts as the problem.”

01 / PLAINLY

What it means, plainly

Media framing selects and emphasizes aspects of an issue to present problems, causes, judgments, or responses.

02 / CONTEXT

A little more

Framing selects and makes aspects salient in order to define problems, causes, judgments, or responses. Producers, texts, audiences, and cultures all participate; no frame determines one reading.

03 / WHY IT MATTERS

Why it matters

Two accounts of the same event may direct attention to different actors, costs, and remedies without determining one reading.

04 / EXAMPLE

A familiar example

The same strike may be presented as a pay dispute, a service disruption, or a conflict over dignity at work.

05 / LIMIT

What it does not mean

Framing is not always lying, and identifying a frame does not establish its effect on an audience.

06 / NOTICE

Notice it in your day

Compare two headlines about the same event and mark the problem, responsible actor, cost, and implied remedy. Add what each leaves out.

FINAL NOTE

The idea worth keeping

Compare which agents, causes, costs, and remedies fall inside and outside each frame.

QUESTIONS / 02

Questions people still have

What does a frame do besides select information?

It makes some aspects salient and guides how a problem or response is defined.

Does identifying a frame prove its audience effect?

No. Producers, texts, audiences, and cultures all take part in interpretation.