International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Framing of news has become a lively interdisciplinary research area in recent years. The sprawling growth of this research area has its roots both in the intellectual ferment spurred by the “linguistic turn” of social theories and political practices in the era of mediated politics. Although the extant framing studies vary in precise conceptual definitions and theoretical foci, one can find some general agreements; that is, framing is a process of social actors using symbolic means to structure the social world ( Reese 2001 ). Among various definitions of framing, the most widely circulated comes from Robert Entman: “Framing essentially involves selection and salience . 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 for the item described. Typically frames diagnose, evaluate, and prescribe …” ( Entman 1993 , 52; italics original). Focusing on the cognitive underpinnings associated with salience, this definition describes how varying salience is accomplished (via selection), where a frame resides (in text), and how such a text produces real political consequences (proving certain problem definition and policy prescription). In essence, frames are templates (ideas and principles) embedded ... log in or subscribe to read full text