What is a frame? A Comprehensive Look

Framing definition
Frames and scripts
Quantitative framing
Issue frames
Newsframes
Framemapping
Qualitative Framing
Las Vegas
Greenwashing
Structural Metaphors

1. Framing Introduction
What is a frame? A few definitions of frame
Robert Entman
“to frame is to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them
more salient in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a
particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation,
and/or treatment recommendation”
Todd Gitlin
“frames are persistent patterns of cognition, interpretation, and
presentation, of selection, emphasis, and exclusion, by which symbol-
handlers routinely organize discourse”
Stephen Reese
“frames are organizing principles that are socially shared and persistent
over time, that work symbolically to meaningfully structure the social
world”

2. Framing Introduction
What is a frame? Frames and scripts
Marvin Minsky (The Society of Mind, 1989)
“Our idea is that each perceptual experience activates
some structures that we'll call frames – structures we've
acquired in the course of previous experience. We all
remember millions of frames, each representing some
stereotyped situation like meeting a certain kind of
person, being in a certain kind of room, or attending a
certain kind of party”

3. Framing Introduction
What is a frame? Frames and scripts
Roger Schank (Language and Memory, 1980)
“Scripts are really just prepackaged sequences of causal
chains. Some causal chains are used so often that we
do not spell out enough of their details for an
understander to make the connections directly. Scripts
are a kind of key to connecting events together that do
not connect by their superficial features but rather by the
remembrance of their having been connected before”.

4. Framing
Goffman. Picture frame
Goffman

“El borde del marco es una construcción pero sólo la ve quien la
construye”
Picture frames (experience frames): doctor in XX or doctor in XVIII.
Readily readable expressions. Lower the uncertainty.
Would you bury the survivors of: 1) a plane accident? (67%), 2) a bike
accident? (20%).
Lakoff: “Do not think of an elephant”

5. Framing
Quantitative Analysis
a) Computer-assisted Content Analysis
Keywords identifying frames
Bosnia and Croatia employed Ruder-Finn Company to link Serbia with
concepts such as:
[serb], [ethnic cleansing], [concentration camp]
They create the Holocaust frame

6. Framing
Quantitative Analysis
b) Frame Mapping
Co-occurring set of terms
Wetlands issue in USA:
CONSERVATION
ADVOCATES
PROPERTY OWNER
ADVOCATES
Natural Farmers, farm
River, Earth Rights, owners
Wildlife, species Agriculture
Conservation, protectRegulations, laws
Habitat, ecosystem Compensation
Threatened Business
Research, rare Ranchers
Bird, migratory, fishPrivate

7. Framing
Issue Frames. Abortion
Each frame forms a total interpretative package that makes sense of the
issue and suggests a course of action.
PRO-CHOICE FRAME
1. Women's rights
(healthcare, contraception,
sexuality education)
2. Fetus, embryo
3. Scientific evidence
4. Choice, freedom
PRO-LIFE FRAME
1. Baby's rights
(don't mention women's rights,
eject the frame Women's rights vs Fetus' rights)
2. Baby, unborn child, pre-born child
3. Moral and religion
4. Life, Infanticide, murder
(do not go negative, not anti-abortion but pro-life)

8. Framing
How to create an issue frame: the theory of evolution

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SO FAR
Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by means of natural selection
EVOLUTION FROM
CREATIONISM WORLDVIEW
Just a theory (meaning Opinion)
Gaps yet to explain
So humanity has no purpose at all?
CREATIONISM FROM
CREATIONISM WORLDVIEW
Scientific theory as well
Intelligent design
World created by God for a purpose
In the education system, only scientific theories must enter schools
According to creationists, children should be taught both theories at
school. In order to promote this, they create an effect that can be
summarized by the expressions “the two sides for every story”
and “truth must lie somewhere in between”

9. Framing
How to create an issue frame: the Holocaust

HISTORICAL RESEARCH SO FAR
Holocaust: a genocide perpetrated by the Nazis during WWII against
jew population and other minorities such as homosexuals,
gypsies or soviets causing a total amount of 11-12 million dead
HOLOCAUST FROM
JEW WORLDVIEW
Agrees with the historical research
HOLOCAUST FROM
REVISIONIST WORLDVIEW
Zionist exaggerated
the number of deaths
There was no Holocaust
In the media system, scientific theories must prevail
According to revisionists, Media should show both sides of the story.
This way, the truth must lie somewhere in between the Zionist
explanation and the revisionist explanation

10. Framing
Lakoff. Prototypes
What comes to our mind when we think about a fish?
Yes we may think on a canary, a parrot, a lovebird, an eagle...
No we do not think on a penguin, an ostrich
Whales and dolphins are mental fish!!

12. Framing
Luntz. Reframing Las Vegas
“gambling”
(Until 1970s)
Organized crime
Prostitution
STD
Ludopathy
Alcoholism
Bankrupcy
“gaming”
(Until 2000s)
Fun
Family
Kids
Healthy play
Security
More info: http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2011/oct/05/look-back-advertising-magic-what-happens-here-stay/

13. “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”
(2000s)
Break the code Good Morning
I'm Monica R&R

14. Framing
Luntz. Greenwashing
“drill for oil”
prospectors
oil platforms
Black
dirty
selfish
“explore for energy”
nature
explorers
Indiana Jones
Conquest of the West
Green and blue
Internet explorer

18. Framing
Greenwashing
When the use of a natural product is aligned to a need for a gentle effect
it will be perceived more positively than when the need is for strenght and
durability (Luchs et al, 2010)
Baby's shampoo Ecological tyres

19. The 7 sins of greenwashing. 2009 Report

20. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
Metaphors. George Lakoff.
1. Structural Metaphors
2. Orientational Metaphors
3. Ontological Metaphors

21. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
1. Structural Metaphors
argument = war
* indefensible claim * win the argument
* attack the weak point * strategy
* right on target
* demolish the argument

22. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
1. Structural Metaphors
time = money
* run out of time * thank you for your time
* invest my time * to save time
* a waste of time
discurrir= hilo
* retomar el hilo * al hilo de * nudo * hilo conductor
* atar cabos * tramar

23. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
2. Orientational Metaphors
happy up = sad down
* I sank * I'm feeling down * cheer me up
* gives me a lift
conscious up = unconscious down
* wake up * feel asleep * get up * under hypnosis

24. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
2. Orientational Metaphors

25. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
3. Ontological Metaphors
Personifications
* el cáncer no me suelta
* la inflación se come mis ahorros
* los hechos hablan por sí solos
Metonymies
* The Times hasn't arrived at the Press Room
* I see new faces in the room

26. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
2. Ontological Metaphors

27. Framing
Qualitative Analysis
3. Ontological Metaphors
2 ways to conceptualize Time:
Time is an object that moves toward us
* adelanto la boda * lo que queda por venir * la semana que viene *
llegará el día en que
Time is a line and we move along it
* dejo para más adelante la boda * entramos en los 90 * nos acercamos
a las navidades