Framing — English definition
The choice of angle, context, and emphasis that shapes how an audience understands an issue — often decided before any explicit claim is made.
Where it is taught
- Public Discourse & Media — Argument & Rhetoric, English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice, Grade 12
In use
The central insight of media literacy is that persuasion begins long before anyone states a claim, and the name for that early, invisible move is framing.
Public Discourse & Media
Questions using framing
Problem 1
'Framing' in media analysis refers to…
- the total number of sources a reporter interviews
- any statement that is factually false
- the choice of angle, context, and emphasis that shapes how an audience understands an issue before any claim is stated
- the physical border around a printed photograph
Answer and explanation
the choice of angle, context, and emphasis that shapes how an audience understands an issue before any claim is stated
Framing is the selection of angle and emphasis — which facts lead, which are buried, whose voice is heard — and it shapes understanding even when every stated fact is true.