Framing

1
Framing Salience
2
TIME KAL 007
3
TIME Iran Air 655
4
Framing SalienceHow big is the Frame?
Comparison of US Media Coverage KAL 007 and Iran
Air 655
5
American Television Coverage

• KAL was lead story of major network news for 27
  out of 43 broadcasts in the two weeks following
  the incident.
• KAL was lead nine days in a row on every American
  network
• Iran Air was lead story for 14 out of 48
  broadcasts
• Iran Air was lead for first two days following
  incident.

6
Framing Agency

• Who or what made it happen?
• Who or what is responsible or to blame?
• Who are the players?
• Who wins and who loses?

7
FramingIdentification and Presentation

• How are the players presented?
• Can the reader identify with the players?
• Are they humanized?
• Demonized?
• Distant, foreign?

8
New York Times Editorials

• KAL 007
• There is no conceivable excuse for any nation
  shooting down a harmless airlinerno
  circumstances whatever justifies attacking an
  innocent plane.
• Iran Air 655
• While horrifying, it was nonetheless an
  accident. The onus for avoiding such accidents
  in the future rests on civilian aircraft avoid
  combat zones, fly high, acknowledge warnings.

9
Legion of Merit Awarded by US Department of
Defense for Exceptionally meritorious conduct
in the performance of Outstanding services and
achievements.
10
Whats News? versusWhats Important?Galtung
and Ruge

• Frequency
• Threshold
• Absolute intensity
• Intensity Increase
• Unambiguity
• Meaningfulness
• Cultural proximity
• Relevance
• Consonance
• Predictability
• Demand

• Unexpectedness
• Unpredictability
• Scarcity
• Continuity
• Elite Nations
• Elite People
• Reference to Persons
• Reference to Something Negative

11
Stereotypes

• Short Hand for Classifying
• Mainlanders
• Gwei Lo
• Shanghainese
• Filipinos
• Protesters
• Gays
• Vegetarians
• Indians
• Americans
• Australians
• Africans

12
Framing Labels and Categories

• What labels or categories are used to describe
  the event?
• Moral or technical discourse?
• Terrorist attack
• Mass Murder
• Bombing
• Air Strike

13
Framing Labels and Categories

• Tragic Incident/Accident
• Accident
• Cycle of Violence
• Terrorism/Murder
• War Crime