Media's Use of Framing

The Framing theory, as explained in Media Now, “examines how writers frame or present a story.” Media often uses framing to create public opinion of a news story, by setting the tone with certain words and the way in which facts are interpreted. Although news is supposed to be unbiased, the use of framing allows the media to sway its audience. I believe the major network programs give a clear example of how framing is used to present a bias view of a story.

News programs on major networks, such as Nightline, 60 Minutes, or 20/20 often cover controversial trials as part of their weekly schedule. The coverage of trials by television specials present the major facts, but it is the way in which they are presented and the facts that are left out that make a report bias. One example of bias coverage of a trial is the Mumia Abu-Jamal murder case of 1982.

ABC's 20/20 has been much criticized over their 1998 report of the Abu-Jamal case. The documentary, Framing An Execution, explains how the special focused in on whether Abu-Jamal was guilty or not, instead of whether the trial was fair or not. The special framed the story around the prosecution and presented the defense in a hostile way, using editing techniques to make the lawyer seem evasive. The story told by 20/20 also left out facts and several key witnesses. The tone that the special creates, along with the facts used, leads most viewers to side with those who are depicted to be just. 

The example of the 20/20 Abu-Jamal report helps me understand how media use framing to sway audience. The coverage of the case led many to simply believe the conviction of Abu-Jamal was just. Since the audience was never presented with the idea that the trial was unjust, most people believe it is just another closed murder case.

A link to a clip of Framing An Execution can be found here.

Sources: 

Straubhaar, Joseph, Robert LaRose, and Lucinda Davenport. Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. 6^th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing, 2009. 608. Print.