In the ever-evolving landscape of information dissemination, the power of media framing stands as a formidable force, sculpting not just news stories but the very contours of our political beliefs. As we navigate the digital realm inundated with narratives, this blog invites you to embark on a journey exploring the profound impact of media framing on shaping our political ideologies. Join us in unraveling the complexities, biases, and strategic nuances that mold our perceptions and influence the tapestry of our civic consciousness.
Media framing plays a pivotal role in shaping political beliefs by influencing the way information is presented and perceived by the public. Framing in political media and communication is the lens in which a story and/or event is reported through. Often times depending on the outlet and their target audience, the manner and tone in which a communication is delivered in varies. There is no such thing as 100% unbiased news. This statement lends itself to be true, for in chapter nine of our textbook it says that all news contains some sort of bias (Perloff, 2017). In a world where folx had more time to break a story and ensure the accuracy of their reports, in addition to a world where political agendas in news didn’t exist – all news would be accurate and mindfully reported with the people’s best interest at heart. That being said, a key purpose of the media is to shape the public’s perception/beliefs, often times seeking to incite emotion or action from their messaging.
More times than not, specific media outlets already have their set political agenda, and a great example of that is the differences between CNN and FOX News. When we look at the effects of framing on analytics such as social media engagement, website traffic and link clicks, if one has already identified their target audience – a great way to continue to engage them is through giving them what they want. People want to be right; they want to see media that aligns with their preexisting values. Framing prompts media outlets to capitalize on what they already know about their audience. When a platform keeps this reality in mind, despite compromising full transparency and truth – they end up achieving better engagement. Being that news outlets are competing for the attention of the same audiences, it is only inevitable that measures be taken to attract more traffic to their platforms. In an accelerated news cycle perpetuated by 24-hour cable news channels, the goal is to attract more viewers to that story. So, they air teasers of their bigger stories during commercial breaks or in between segments – aiming to gain viewership by the time the story airs. Something that is very important to keep in mind regarding social media and engagements is the methods behind trending and content going viral. Content goes viral when its ratio of engagements to minutes being live on a platform is exponential. Making the goal of going viral a very time sensitive one to achieve. Each individual platform wants their content to trend, taking the measures that with their framing that they feel could help them achieve that. In framing a narrative that is most likely to incite a digital action from a user such as a like, comment, save, share and or story post – a communicator has the power to report accurately, or report what would gain the largest reaction from followers and users.
For example, let’s look at the reputations of CNN and FOX News. Their approach to news reporting, the lens they report through, and their target audiences are a prime example of the tactics enacted in political reporting to evoke action and/or emotion – in addition to the nature of reporting from both a liberal and conservative lens. At the end of the day, they are entitled to report as they desire – but neither of them is always reporting 100% facts. The tactics of CNN and FOX News parallel that of a concept presented in chapter nine of our textbook, where it discusses the patterns within reporting based on ideology and politics. It dives into how each side minimizes the argument or stance of the other in a way that favors their views or perspectives. A political happening that I first addressed in my discussion post this week that I feel could make a great example of framing in political media is the news coverage surrounding the state of Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Bill. As we examine the news coverage of the bill during the Florida Legislative Sessions, there is a stark juxtaposition between that of the reporting by CNN and FOX News. There is a myriad of differences in the strategy both media outlets took to capture the essence of this story. From something as simple such as the article titles, to the way in which they address the bill entirely throughout their individual stories. Both CNN and FOX News go as far to mention even overtly opposing elements surrounding their alleged political alignments to minimize the opposing view with the goal to elevate and further legitimize the stance of their own, as mentioned in chapter nine of our textbook (Perloff, 2017).
The media plays a huge role in role in shaping Americans' political information, beliefs, and behavior in this new environment. The question is, do the current media landscape and messaging strategies being enacted by news outlets serve the needs of the people… or the institution? In a news landscape where different platforms are battling for engagement, taking lengths such as altering the truth to potentially trend or go viral – the nature of the profession seems exploitative, for the outlets are looking to capitalize on a reaction they evoke, not on the compelling nature of the story or content. We are navigating an new level of sensationalism in the media that exploits the concerns of our communities, similar to click bait – but with the nature of social media, news spreads like wildfire… prompting misinformation to spread just as fast. As social media and the digital realm continues to evolve, the media’s role and power in the framing of political news stories increase – for all of this information framed as “truth” is more readily accessible.
Sources:
Chasmar, J. (2022, March 9). Democrats claim Florida is pushing 'don't say gay' bill. here's what the legislation actually says. Fox News. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-democrats-claim-dont-say-gay-bill-what-legislation-says
Cole, D., & Burnside, T. (2022, March 28). DeSantis signs controversial bill restricting certain LGBTQ topics in the classroom | CNN politics. CNN. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/politics/dont-say-gay-bill-desantis-signs
Perloff, R. M. (2017). The dynamics of political communication: Media and politics in a digital age. New York: Routledge.
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