Framing Theory

Tamara Kunić, VERN University, Croatia
kunic.tamara@gmail.com

Anna Baczkowska, University of Gdansk, Poland
anna.baczkowska@ug.edu.pl

Framing Theory explains how individuals interpret reality based on the way information is presented in communication, particularly through media. A frame is a cognitive structure that organises perception and simplifies complex information, allowing audiences to make sense of the world. By selecting, emphasising, and excluding elements, media shape how issues are defined, understood, and discussed. The theory was introduced by Erving Goffman, who defined frames as ‘schemata of interpretation’ that help individuals locate, perceive, identify, and label events and occurrences. Goffman argued that frames guide how people understand and respond to social situations by structuring experience and subjective involvement. Robert Entman refined this concept in the context of mass communication, stating that frames ‘select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a communicating text.’ According to Entman, frames perform four key functions: they define problems, diagnose causes, make moral evaluations, and suggest solutions.

There is a difference between framing in communication—how issues are presented by speakers or the media—and framing in thought, which refers to how individuals internalise and interpret these frames. In media research, framing is typically analysed through two interconnected processes: frame-building, which examines how frames are constructed within journalistic practices and influenced by internal (e.g. editorial policies) and external factors; and frame-setting, which explores how these frames shape audience interpretation. Together, these processes influence how people evaluate information, form opinions, and develop political attitudes and beliefs.

Visual framing also plays a powerful role on four levels: (1) composition and layout, (2) symbolism and connotation, (3) contextual use, and (4) perceptual impact. Visual elements like photographs, graphics, or videos can evoke emotional reactions and subtly reinforce narrative frames.

Keywords: framing theory, frame-building, frame-setting

Related Entries: Frames, Media Effects, Relativism, View

References:
Druckman, J. N. (2001). The implications of framing effects for citizen competence. Political Behavior, 23(3), 225–256. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015006907312
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Goffman, E. (1986). Frame analysis: An essay on the organisation of experience (p. 10). Northeastern University Press. http://archive.org/details/frameanalysisess00goff_1
Rodriguez, L., & Dimitrova, D. V. (2011). The levels of visual framing. Journal of Visual Literacy, 30(1), 48–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/23796529.2011.11674684
De Vreese, C. H. (2005). News framing: Theory and typology. Information Design Journal, 13(1), 51-62.