framings

Framings is the plural form of framing, the process of presenting information, events, or objects within a specific context designed to influence interpretation. Framings achieve this by selecting particular aspects of reality, shaping language and imagery, and omitting others. In discourse, framings determine what is made salient and how audiences categorize an issue.

In media studies and communication, frames influence audience understanding by guiding attention and interpretation. Common types include emphasis framing (highlighting certain features), equivalence framing (using different but logically equivalent wording), and gain versus loss framing (portraying outcomes as benefits or costs). An issue framed around crime may evoke fear, while a frame focusing on policy outcomes may prompt different judgments.

In political communication, framing affects opinions and policy support. Frame analysis examines how issues are constructed in public discourse, and framing effects are observed when different frames yield different attitudes even with the same facts.

In journalism, episodic framing highlights events and individuals; thematic framing situates issues in broader contexts and structural factors.

In visual arts and photography, framing refers to composition—the choice of what to include or exclude within the image boundary. The frame guides attention and interpretation and can create meaning through perspective and cropping.

In information science and artificial intelligence, frames are data structures used to represent stereotyped situations; frame semantics models how language encodes knowledge using such structures.