Class 10 - Message Framing

Media Framing

Predicts that the way an issue is characterized in news reports influences how it is understood by audiences

• media has an impact on the way people interpret issues

Media Framing Approaches

• Emphasis Approach

• Equivalency Approach

Emphasis approach

• Media selects and emphasizes certain parts of an issue while simultaneously downplaying or ignoring other parts of an issue 

example: a news article may emphasize the severity of skin cancer but not mention (or, ignore) who is susceptible to skin cancer

Equivalency approach

• Gain frames vs. loss frames

• Health messages can either highlight benefits of a behavior (gain frame) or consequences of not engaging in a behavior (loss frame)

Gain frame

emphasizes the benefits of engaging in a recommended behavior

• exercising can help you lose weight

• more effective for prevention behaviors (actions that maintain health or avoid future risk like using sunscreen, exercising, eating healthy)

• gain for prevention

Loss frame

emphasizes the costs of not engaging in a recommended behavior

• not exercising can cause weight gain

• Usually more effective to use when health behaviors have a higher degree of risk associated with performing them

• more effective for detection behaviors (actions that could uncover a disease or health threat like screening, HIV testing, mammography)

• loss for detection