Wikipedia:Framing

Framing an issue is an effective tactic in rhetoric, but we as Wikipedia contributors should be sensitive to NPOV issues. Rather than framing an issue a certain way ourselves, we should describe how others have framed it.

A recent example is the furor over contraceptive mandates in the US. Republicans framed the issue as one of religious freedom: Democrats said that:
 * No one should be made to pay for someone else's birth control pills, in effect financing an immoral decision to have sex without consequences
 * Republicans had framed a women's health issue as a religious freedom issue

Should we call this:
 * 1) a hearing on religious freedom ("Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?")
 * 2) a hearing on contraception and religion

Which is neutral?

Another aspect in this example is framing the hearing as biased against one side: The article mentions that the committee had invited Barry Lynn, who they knew favors that rule and that the Democrats wanted Fluke to replace Lynn. I haven't seen anything about why Lynn didn't show up for the hearing.
 * There are 10 witnesses testifying at Thursday's hearing. None of those individuals -- listed as testifying prior to hearing -- is in favor of the Obama administration's birth control rule, and few are women.

So which is it?
 * 1) Republicans agreed to let one pro-Democratic witness testify, but he didn't show up
 * 2) Republicans refused to let anyone testify against their viewpoint

Instead of picking one viewpoint and calling it "the neutral POV", NPOV requires us to describe the conflict. It's a framing conflict. Not only do people disagree on what they want (he voted for Gore, she voted for Bush) - in a clearly stated way; but also people disagree on how to describe the issue.

We should avoid determining which side is right. Rather, describe the issue on two levels:
 * Republicans want this, and Democrats want that
 * Republicans see it as a Freedom of religion issue, while Democrats see it as a Women's health issue.