The Role Of Media Framing And Agenda Setting In Shaping Public Perception

Literature review

In the field of mass media agenda setting and framing plays a very important role. Framing is considered to be an extended version of agenda setting. Agenda setting in simple words can be understood as the agenda that has been set by the media agencies for the public opinion that revolves around certain key issue. The agenda setting theory states that the level of importance of an issue is decided by the rate at which the media is covering that particular issue. Hence, it is believed that what the people are thinking is a by-product of media. In the modern world of media the framing theory is taking over the agenda setting theory. Framing theory revolves around shaping the content of media, in which the media decides on representing a certain issue on the basis of the frame analysis. Like for example, instead of writing as “the less you smoke, the easier it will be to quit” the media decides to convey this message as “the more you smoke, the harder it will be to quit”. Hence, it can be said that the media chooses the way to represent the same message in their own way and this is called as frames in the field of media. The article has established a link between the frames in news production and frames in news consumption. At the time of constructing social reality it is important that the media analyse the issue and then frame it as different issues are interpreted in different ways by the media and the public. This is so because frames have the ability to influence the reactions of the public after receiving the news. It has been stated that frames should be developed on individual basis and not as a connection to the culture as frames are present everywhere and are institutionalized by everyone in different manner. The frame works on the basis of the cognitive process used by the media as well as the individual. The frame package results in the development of number of logical conclusions on the basis of their cognitive ability (Gorp, 2007). According to Dietram, framing is different from agenda setting as it is based on the characterization of news in a manner that can influence the conclusions of audiences. He has argued that the choices of individual are influenced by the content that is being showed to them. The author has further classified framing in macro construct and micro construct. In macro construct framing is considered as the mode of presentation that is being adopted by the media in order to reach their audiences.  This means that the journalists use the mode in order to reduce the complexities related to a certain topic or issue. Micro construct defines framing from the point of view of audiences that how they use the information provided to them in order to form impressions related to a specific issue. The author has concluded that frame building and agenda building focuses on the message construction and not on media effects. The author has stated that in agenda setting the media can ensure that whether the audience is thinking about the issue whereas, on the other hand framing theory ensures that how the issue is being interpreted by the audiences (Scheufele & Tewksbury, 2007). The #metoo is one such frame that influenced people to think about women empowerment by focusing on the issues of abuse and other issues being faced by women in the society. Another such media frame is Time’s Up that influenced the people to concentrate on the issue of gender inequality and sexual misconduct being faced by people in the society. These two frames brought a significant shift in the national conversation and gave a direction to the peoples thought and attention towards the social issues prevalent in the society (Hostler & O’Neil, 2018).

Critical reflection

Media framing plays a very important role in the field of mass media. Agenda setting and framing are an integral part of media that uses the cognitive ability in news production as well as news consumption. With the help of this article I was able to explore a different aspect of mass media and how it leaves a strong impact on the audiences and influences their perception. On the basis of the study of these articles I can infer that media framing in simple words can be understood as the perspective through which a story is told.  How a story is framed depends upon the journalist, and the person speaking the news (Charles, 2018). Agenda setting is also an integral part of media framing but, agenda setting is majorly related to what a newspaper is going to cover or will not cover. Framing and agenda setting are same on the basis of cognitive ability but both are different in its implementation (Reese et al., 2001). Frames are developed on the basis of various issues being analysed. Hence, it is believed that media framing plays a very pivotal role in influencing the issues being discussed depending upon the media frame. Media framing is influenced by many factors like the race of the journalist, the gender of journalist, the audiences being targeted, etc. Hence, it is believed that the construction of the news is very important in media framing on the basis of this it can be identified that how media is influencing people (Critical Media Review, 2015). I agree with the fact that mentioned by the author that framing theory is taking over the agenda theory. As now the journalists focus on a specific event and then tries to give meaning to it with the help of frames and frame packages developed by them. Framing uses the psychological and sociological aspect in order to influence the perception of the audiences and to make them believe in the reality being showcased by the journalists. I believe that the main reason that why the media framing is important is that it has the ability to influence the reasoning ability of the people, as people depicts what they see and hence, at times it may be misleading. The news at times are misleading because of the biasness being practiced by the journalist and the news channels. In my opinion I believe that the consequences of this are to be suffered by the common people. Media is a field from which the audience expects to reveal reality and wants to know the truth as they believe on the news that is being showed to them (Entman, 2010). This statement has also been supported by Thomas and others in their article that discusses about the influencing power that media has on people and how they shape the political decisions of the common people with the help of media framing. The authors have discussed that how the information being provided by the news channels related to an issue acts as a learning model to the viewers and a perception is developed in the mind of the viewers about that specific issue. The coverage of the issue influences the thoughts of the audiences and as a result the cognitive accessibility model is used by the viewers in order to process the information being showed by the media (Nelson et al., 2010). Jorg in his article has supported the author of the article by stating that media framing is conceptualized and coded on the basis of types of frames, as well as the methods and theories of analysing the frames.  The types of frames are identified as issue specific or generic. Generic frames can be applied on any issues but issue specific frames revolves around specific issues only. The theory is used at the time of deciding over the content that needs to be reflected in the frames. The method of frame analysis helps in determining that whether the analysis needs to be conducted on number basis or text basis. Apart from this it helps in deciding that the frame needs to determine on deductive basis or inductive basis, also the coding of framing should be manual or computerized (Matthes, 2009). In order to prove the influence of media framing one of the best examples that can be sighted is of the Iraq war. At the time of Iraq war the news channels of both the countries that is USA and Iraq showed the same news from different perspectives. On the basis of the research conducted by Daniela it has been found that the tone of the coverage of the war by the news channels differed in both the countries. Hence, this proves that the media framing has great potential to portrait anything in front of the audiences and influence them with their capabilities (Dimitrova & Stromback, 2005).

On the basis of the articles, the concept of framing and agenda setting is clearly understood. Also, the impact of these theories on shaping the perceptions and viewpoints of audiences has been studied. But, I believe that these studies has left scope for conducting future research that will help in analyzing these theories and how they shape the perceptions of the audiences in real world. A research should be conducted to know the impact of media framing in real world by using real world statistics. This will help in developing a strong connection with the topic being studied.

References

Charles, M.P., 2018. A Critical analysis of Media Framing and Audience Framing: Comparing the “Media”and “Audience” Agenda in the 2015 General election in Tanzania. International Journal of Innovative Resaerch and Development, 7(1).

Critical Media Review, 2015. What is Media Framing? [Online] Available at: https://criticalmediareview.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/what-is-media-framing/ [Accessed 13 September 2018].

Dimitrova, D.V. & Stromback, J., 2005. Mission Accomplished? Framing of the Iraq War in the Elite Newspapers in Sweden and the United States. International Communication Gazette, 67, pp.399–417.

Entman, R.M., 2010. Media framing biases and political power: Explaining slant in news of Campaign 2008. Journalism, 11(4), pp.389-408.

Gorp, B.V., 2007. The Constructionist Approach to Framing: Bringing Culture Back In. Journal of Communication, 57, pp.60–78.

Hostler, M.J. & O’Neil, M., 2018. Reframing Sexual Violence: From #MeToo to Time’s Up. [Online] Available at: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/reframing_sexual_violence_from_metoo_to_times_up [Accessed 2018].

Matthes, J., 2009. What’s in a Frame? A Content Analysis of Media Framing Studies in the World’s Leading Communication Journals, 1990-2005. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(2), pp.349-67.

Nelson, T.E., Clawson, R.A. & Oxley, Z.M., 2010. Media Framing of a Civil Liberties Conflict and Its Effect on Tolerance. American Political Science Review, 91(3), pp.567-83.

Reese, S.D., Gandy, O.H. & Jr., A.E.G., 2001. Framing Public Life: Perspectives on Media and Our Understanding of the Social World. Routledge.

Scheufele, D.A. & Tewksbury, D., 2007. Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three Media Effects Models. Journal of Communication, 57, pp. 9–20.