In recent years, the term “framing” has become increasingly important in press and public relations. “Frames” refer to cognitive interpretive frameworks that form in our brains as we acquire language: This means that in every instance of communication, existing knowledge structures in our brains are activated, linking what is said or seen to our experiences. The more frequently these interpretive frameworks are activated through language, the stronger and more lasting their effect becomes. Put simply, this means that every piece of linguistic information is linked to certain associations from which no one can escape. For example, when one hears or reads the phrase “flood of refugees,” the term is inevitably associated with a natural disaster—along with all the mental associations linked to such disasters. Accordingly, one can think of framing as a kind of internal map, in which our experiences, ideas, and prejudices determine how we understand and contextualize a linguistic message.
Frames, therefore, evaluate and interpret. Consequently, language is never neutral. For press and public relations work, framing means that one’s own publications—whether website content, newsletters, press releases, or the like—should always be reviewed to determine what associations the wording, terminology, or images used might evoke. After all, framing applies not only to the spoken or written word, but also to photos and videos. As visual information, they are embedded just as quickly and, in most cases, unconsciously.
Another important finding from framing research: Even when certain connections are linguistically denied, framing ensures that they are still perceived as linked. For example, if you write a press release that addresses prejudices against refugees but repeats those very prejudices, you are still reinforcing the corresponding frames. If, for instance, you write, “Our experience has shown that refugees do not come to Germany for social benefits,” this framing still tends to make the association between “refugees” and “social benefits” stick in people’s minds. This makes it all the more important to use positive and respectful language in your own publications and in your press and public relations work—language that does not reinforce the preconceptions and prejudices of others.
In the context of press and public relations work, framing means that the following recommendations should be considered:
- Framing is usually an unconscious process. In professional press and public relations work, it is all the more important to be aware of how framing works and to review one’s own publications accordingly: What terms and labels are used? What images?
- Framing also means being as specific as possible in one’s language: Clichéd or overused terms open the door to interpretations that one would likely want to avoid in one’s press and public relations work.
- However, framing is also an opportunity to reflect fundamentally on one’s own values and the corresponding communication: What values do we want to represent with our organization, company, or association, and how can we best express them linguistically?
- Accordingly, framing is based on the principle that words and actions should align—a principle that should be reflected, not least, in press and public relations work.
Further Links and Recommended Reading
Wehling, Elisabeth: “Political Framing: How a Nation Shapes Its Own Thinking—and Turns It into Policy,” Cologne 2016
re:publica 2017 – Elisabeth Wehling: The Power of Metaphors
“I’d Bet on Patriotism”: An Interview with Elisabeth Wehling