User:Megflats/sandbox

"Frame analysis examines the selection and salience of certain aspects of an issue by exploring images, stereotypes, metaphors, actors, and messages." It is related to the theory of agenda-setting. Framing influences how people interpret or process information. This can set an agenda. However, frame analysis goes beyond agenda-setting by examining the issues rather than the topics. Frame analysis is usually done in regard to news media. However, framing is inevitable, as everyone does it. It can speed up the process of interpretation as well as writing and presenting the news. People just may not realize they are using frames. When people are aware that they are using framing, there are several techniques that can be used. These may include: metaphor, stories, tradition, slogan, jargon, catchphrase, artifact, contrast or spin.

Distinctions within Primary Frameworks
In his book, Goffman said that people use their primary framework to examine their world. There are also distinctions within primary frameworks. There are natural and social frameworks. Natural frameworks don't apply social forces to situations. They just exist naturally. However, social frameworks do apply social forces to situations. The two are connected in that "social frameworks are built on the natural frameworks."

Content analysis in framing
The deductive frame analysis pre-defines frames and then looks for them in the news to see which stories fit into the definitions. The inductive frame analysis requires that a story is analyzed first. The researcher looks for possible frames that have been "loosely defined." This is often used for smaller samples.

Common Frames in the News

 * Conflict: conflicts between individual people, groups, institutions, etc.
 * Economic consequences: looks at the economic consequences of a situation in the news and how it may affect people, groups, institutions, etc. economically
 * Human interest: adds emotion or a human side to an issue, event, etc.
 * Morality: applies religious or moral beliefs to a situation
 * Responsibility: makes someone (individual, group, institution, etc.) responsible for a situation

Other examples of frames may include: health severity, thematic and episodic, medical, uncertainty, alarmist. What frames are used depends on the event at hand.