Unisca framing

What’s framing? Towards a deﬁnition The process of framing Cases Questions
Framing the news
Lecture at the UNISCA Summer Academy
Damian Trilling
d.c.trilling@uva.nl
@damian0604
Afdeling Communicatiewetenschap
Universiteit van Amsterdam
16-07-2013
Framing the News Damian Trilling

1 What’s framing?
Different examples. . .
. . . and their communalities
2 Towards a definition
Beyond the transmission belt
Definitions, definitions, definitions
How many news frames are there?
3 The process of framing
How do frames emerge?
What communicators hope
4 Cases
Case 1: Frame adoption on Twitter
Case 2: Strategic framing vs Issue framing
Case 3: Framing Immigration
5 Questions

What’s framing?

Edward Snowden
Traitor
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=i5Ft_crmhDw

Edward Snowden
Traitor
watch?v=i5Ft_crmhDw
Loser, Highschool dropout, louche
ﬁgure

Edward Snowden
Traitor
watch?v=i5Ft_crmhDw
ﬁgure
Hero
watch?v=gmt9Y2T5_ow

Edward Snowden
Traitor
watch?v=i5Ft_crmhDw
ﬁgure
Hero
watch?v=gmt9Y2T5_ow
Defender of 4th amendment, Teller of
the Truth

Abortus
Own choice

Abortus
Own choice Murder

What would you choose?
600 people suﬀer from a serious illness:
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1981). The Framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211
(4481), 453–458. doi:10.1126/science.7455683.

Positive framing:
Treatment A: saves 200 lives
Treatment B: 33% chance of
saving all 600 people, 66%
chance of saving no one.
(4481), 453–458. doi:10.1126/science.7455683.

Positive framing:
Negative framing
Treatment A: 400 People will die
Treatment B: 33% chance that
no people will die, 66% chance
that all will die.
(4481), 453–458. doi:10.1126/science.7455683.

Positive framing:
Negative framing
Treatment A: 400 People will die
Treatment B: 33% chance that
no people will die, 66% chance
that all will die.
Treatment A was chosen by 72% of participants when it was presented with
positive framing (“saves 200 lives”) dropping to only 22% when the same
choice was presented with negative framing (“400 people will die”).
(4481), 453–458. doi:10.1126/science.7455683.

What do we see?
It is . . .

What do we see?
It is . . .
• not (primarily) about contesting facts

What do we see?
It is . . .
• but about highlighting certain aspects. . .

What do we see?
It is . . .
• . . . and neglecting others

What do we see?
It is . . .
• . . . and neglecting others
⇒ The topic is framed in a diﬀerent way

What do we see?
In these examples, the case was framed as

What do we see?
• treason vs. heroic whistle-blowing

What do we see?
• murder vs. self-determination

What do we see?
• murder vs. self-determination
• gains vs. losses

Towards a deﬁnition

“Old” models of mass
communication
saw mass communication as a
transmission belt or a hypodermic
needle: messages would inﬂuence
the innocent public, everyone in
largely the same way

“Old” models of mass
communication
saw mass communication as a
transmission belt or a hypodermic
needle: messages would inﬂuence
the innocent public, everyone in
largely the same way
“Newer” models of mass
communcation
focus on the circumstances under
which messages have some
(intendend or unintended) eﬀects

What are frames?
De Vreese, C. H. (2005). News framing: Theory and typology. Information design journal+ document design,
13(1), 51-62.
Scheufele, B. (2004). Framing-eﬀects approach: A theoretical and methodological critique. Communications,
29(4), 401–428. doi:10.1515/comm.2004.29.4.401
Strömbäck, J. & Van Aelst, P. (2010). Exploring some antecedents of the media’s framing of election news: A
comparison of Swedish and Belgian election news. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 15(1), 41-59.

What are frames?
• “patterns of interpretation through which people classify
information in order to handle it eﬃciently” (Scheufele, 2004)
13(1), 51-62.
29(4), 401–428. doi:10.1515/comm.2004.29.4.401

What are frames?
• “[. . . ] framing is concerned with how events, issues, or social
actors are organized in communicative messages and the
thinking of individuals” (Strömbäck & Van Aelst, 2010)
13(1), 51-62.
29(4), 401–428. doi:10.1515/comm.2004.29.4.401

What are frames?
• “[. . . ] framing is concerned with how events, issues, or social
actors are organized in communicative messages and the
thinking of individuals” (Strömbäck & Van Aelst, 2010)
• “an emphasis in salience of diﬀerent aspects of a topic” (De
Vreese, 2005)
13(1), 51-62.
29(4), 401–428. doi:10.1515/comm.2004.29.4.401

Entman’s deﬁnition
Framing is
Entman, R. (1993). Framing: Toward a clariﬁcation of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4),
51-58.

Framing is
• “to select some aspects of a perceived reality
51-58.

Framing is
• and make them more salient in a communicating text
51-58.

Framing is
• in such a way as to promote a particular
51-58.

Framing is
1 problem deﬁnition,
51-58.

Framing is
2 causal interpretation,
51-58.

Framing is
3 moral evaluation,
51-58.

Framing is
3 moral evaluation,
4 and/or treatment recommendation
51-58.

Framing is
3 moral evaluation,
4 and/or treatment recommendation
for item described”
51-58.

Semetko & Valkenburg (2000)
Five dominant news frames:
1 conﬂict frames
2 human interest frames
3 morality frames
4 attribution of responsibility frames
5 economic consequences frames
Semetko, H.A., & Valkenburg, P.M. (2000). Framing European politics: A content analysis of press and television
news. Journal of Communication, 50(2), 93-109. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02843.x

Matthes & Kohring (2008)
Limitations of the deductive approach:
• inﬂexible
• not possible to identify new emerging frames
Matthes, J., & Kohring, M. (2008). The content analysis of media frames: Toward improving reliability and
validity. Journal of Communication, 58(2), 258-279. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2008.00384.x

• inﬂexible
⇒ Frames as clusters of frame elements (→ Entman’s deﬁnition)

• inflexible
⇒ Frames as clusters of frame elements (→ Entman’s definition)
Example: Framing of biotechnology in the NYT: economic
prospect frame, genetic identity frame, research benefit frame.

The process of framing

Frame building
“the question of how frames get established in societal discourse
and how diﬀerent frames compete for adoption by societal elites
and journalists” (Tewksbury & Scheufele, 2009)
Tewksbury, D., & Scheufele, D.A. (2009). News framing theory and research. In J. Bryant & M.B. Oliver (Eds.),
Media eﬀects. Advances in theory and research (3rd ed., pp. 17– 33). New York, NY: Routledge.

The strategic framing by spin doctors
• In professional campaigning, deliberate framing was
introduced in the understanding that “the effort of the
messages was not a function of content differences but of
differences in the modes of presentation” (Scheufele & Tewksbury,
2007, p. 9)
• Frames as “social stereotypes”: political actors have to
address the media or the audience corresponding to the
“structured set of cognitions, emotions, and evaluations at the
individual level” (Nelson, 2011, p. 195)
Nelson, T. E. (2011). Issue framing. In J. Lawrence & R. Y. Shapiro (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of American
public opinion and the media (pp. 188–203). Oxford Handbooks Online.
doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199545636.001.0001
Scheufele, D.A., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The evolution of three media
effects models. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 9–20. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00326.x

What influences journalists’ frame choices?
• Individual journalist’s influences: ideological background,
social values and norms, . . .
• Organizational routines of the medium: type of medium,
political orentation, culture, processes, . . .
• External influences: market forces, pressure by political actors,
elite groups, . . .
Scheufele, D.A. (1999). Framing as a theory of media effects. Journal of Communication, 49, 101–120.

A PR guy’s dream
politician’s/organization’s frame ⇒ journalist’s frame ⇒ public’s
frame

Cases

Case 1: Frames in US presidential candidate debate
Schulze, H., & Trilling, D. (2013, February). Of binders and bayonets: Measuring the adoption of frames from the
US Presidential Debates on Twitter. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Rotterdam.

Case 1: Frame adoption
What can we learn?
• Actors are not always succesfull in setting a frame
• Some frames are “sexier” than others
• If a frame is adopted, it is more likely to be accepted than
rejected
⇒ Try to establish your own frame rather than challenge
your competitor’s frame!
Schulze, H., & Trilling, D. (2013, February). Of binders and bayonets: Measuring the adoption of frames from the
US Presidential Debates on Twitter. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Rotterdam.

Dominant frames in political news coverage
Politics can – broadly spoken – be framed in two ways:
• as a game: who is winning? who has the better strategy? ...
• substantially: what are the arguments? what is the best
solution?

solution?
The ﬁrst is obviously more fun. . .

solution?
. . . but is it the best solution

solution?
. . . but is it the best solution for political actors

solution?
. . . but is it the best solution for political actors and for democracy?

Horse-race framing in US media in 2010
http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/frame_coverage

In Europe, strategic frames (as opposed to issue frames) are
present in between a third and half of the election coverage.

Is this bad news?

Is this bad news?
Maybe.
De Vreese, C. H. (2005). The Spiral of Cynicism Reconsidered. European Journal of Communication, 20(3),
283–301. doi:10.1177/0267323105055259
Valkenburg, P.M., Semetko, H.A., & De Vreese, C.H. (1999). The eﬀects of news frames on readers’ thoughts and
recall. Communication Research, 26(5), 550-569. doi:10.1177/009365099026005002

Is this bad news?
Maybe.
Strategic news frames can (in some cases) increase cynicism
283–301. doi:10.1177/0267323105055259

Is this bad news?
Maybe.
But: One can also think of positive outcomes: For example,
conﬂict framing might aid recall
283–301. doi:10.1177/0267323105055259

Is this bad news?
Maybe.
But: One can also think of positive outcomes: For example,
conﬂict framing might aid recall
And also, certain frames might help motivate people to participate
283–301. doi:10.1177/0267323105055259

Frames in Press and Parliament
Vliegenthart, R., & Roggeband, C. (2007). Framing immigration and integration: Relationships between press and
parliament in the Netherlands. International Communication Gazette, 69(3), 295-319. doi:
10.1177/1748048507076582

• Frames in press coverage and parliamentary debates:
multicultural frame, emancipation frame, restriction frame,
victimization frame, islam-as-threat frame
10.1177/1748048507076582

• Frames in press coverage and parliamentary debates:
multicultural frame, emancipation frame, restriction frame,
victimization frame, islam-as-threat frame
• “An increase in the use of a frame in one arena leads to an
increase in the other arena only if this frame has already been
used regularly in the latter arena. External events have more
considerable and consistent impact on issue salience and
framing in both arenas.”
10.1177/1748048507076582

10.1177/1748048507076582

To conclude
Framing . . .
• means that certain aspects of a topic are highlighted
• a frame implies speciﬁc interpretation (and diﬀerent actions)
• can be deliberatively chosen by political actors
• but their acceptance by journalists or public is subject to a lot
of factors
• establishing an own frame can be a key to succes

Any questions?
Damian Trilling
d.c.trilling@uva.nl
@damian0604

Unisca framing

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