Framing your messages
Introducing the approach
As communicators, we need to remember that the people who make up our audiences aren’t blank slates. They interpret our messages through the lens of their existing beliefs, associations, hopes, and fears.
‘Narrative framing’ refers to a process by which we adapt our communications to reflect these deeper values and emotions. This allows us to challenge unhelpful narratives and encourage more constructive ones.
Around the world, large-scale framing studies have been conducted on different issues. You can find message guides on many social justice issues online.
But there are also some essential framing principles, which you can apply to any piece of communication for social change.
- Lead with shared values – If we start with a positive, rather than a list of problems, we create a power connection with the audience.
For example: “No matter what we look like or where we come from, most of us strive to treat others the way we’d want to be treated.” - Identify the problem and who’s responsible – When we show that a problem has been caused by the actions of specific people or groups, audiences are more likely to believe that change is possible.
For example: “Certain politicians are trying to turn us against people who come seeking safety. They’re hoping we’ll look the other way while they endanger families who have been forced to flee their homes.” - Offer a solution – A big risk of campaign communications is that we leave people feeling hopeless or powerless. So, it’s important to present a clear solution, and a way for your audience to act.
For example: It’s time to create a fair and effective asylum process for everyone, and to support people to rebuild their lives in our communities. That’s why we’re asking you to…” - Say what you believe using your language – We should never repeat our opponents’ inaccurate or inflammatory statements. Even if our aim to correct the record, we should lead with our own language and messages.
Do say: People come here seeking safety and opportunity for their families.
Don’t say: Whatever Donald Trump tells you, migrants aren’t criminals - Frame your data – Statistics are a powerful communications tool, but we should always place numbers in their proper context. This helps our audience draw the right conclusions.
Don’t say: 1 in 7 LGBT+ people have avoided seeking medical treatment because they fear discrimination.
Do say: The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it, but 1 in 7 LGBT people say they’ve avoided seeking medical treatment because they fear discrimination. No one should be too afraid to seek essential care. - Use visuals and metaphors that support your frames – Images have a powerful impact on our thoughts and emotions. So, it’s essential that the images we use frame our messages the right way.
For example: In stories about dangerous heatwaves, we should use images that show people struggling in the heat, not enjoying a day at the beach.
Case Study: ‘Talking about Poverty’
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)’s and FrameWorks UK ‘Talking About Poverty’ project was a five-year effort. Its goal was to find a more effective way of talking about UK poverty.
The research phase involved using framing recommendations from FrameWorks UK research into public attitudes to poverty in the UK, which involved 20,000 people. One of the key findings was that many British people still believe that poverty is the result of individual choices. To shift their views, the research argues, it’s important to communicate that the way the economy is currently designed traps people in poverty.
The research found that certain images and metaphors help audiences to understand poverty. It encouraged campaigners to use words like “restrict” and “restrain” to show how poverty limits people’s options.
The research found that the metaphor of locks helped audiences to understand the problem. For example, “our economy is locking people in poverty”. And water metaphors could also clarify the issue. For example: “our economy creates powerful currents that pull people into poverty, like low wages or increasing living costs.”
The research also found that benefits are seen as part of the problem rather than the solution. So it encouraged campaigners to use the same metaphors to tell a positive story about social security. For example, “the social security system can help people to stay afloat in tough times” or “benefits can help unlock poverty’s constraints.”
Homework Exercise
You’re involved with a campaign to protect the UK’s native animals and plants from extinction. Your team is about to publish new research on how much nature has been lost over the last 50 years. This loss of biodiversity isn’t only bad for the animals and plants. It also hurts food production, makes pollution worse, and leaves the UK more exposed to floods and other climate threats.
Pick one or two of the most powerful statistics from the following list. Then write a short paragraph framing them so that they encourage hope and action.
- 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies in the last 50 years.
- A quarter of British mammals are at risk of extinction.
- 76% of people in the UK are worried about the state of nature.
- 63% of people in Britain say the government is doing too little to tackle nature loss.
- Only 5% of the land in the UK is effectively protected for nature.
You could also think about creative ways to reinforce your messages. How might you use images, videos, memes, music, or stories to communicate the importance of nature?
Download this exercise and work offline