Monday, March 13, 2006
Framing is not Messaging
From the FRAMESHOP by Jeffrey Feldman, addressing something I've been harping on for two years now:
Frameshop: The Message Is Not the Frame:
When progressives talk about ‘framing’ the political debate, we often confuse ‘frame’ with ‘message.’ We want framing to be a quick path to victory, a magic bullet delivered in the form of a perfect talking point, that brings the opposition to its knees.
In fact, framing is not a magic bullet, but a set of tools that empowers progressives to be more engaged by taking control of the debate--first by seeing the broad ideas that trap us in a losing position, and then by re-framing the issues in moral terms that speak to ideals of the American people. Framing, in other words, makes us better readers, better listeners, and better participants in day-to-day politics, thereby enabling us to become the kind of citizens that are most effective in the culture of media driven politics.