Narrative Framing
How story structure shapes perception by choosing what to emphasize and omit
Definition
Narrative framing is the editorial decision about how to structure a story — what facts to lead with, what context to include, what to place at the bottom (or leave out entirely), and whose perspective to center. Framing does not require lying; it manipulates truth by controlling emphasis.
How It Works in Media
Editors decide what the 'angle' of a story is before a single word is written. The same set of facts can produce completely different stories depending on whether the angle is economic, humanitarian, security-focused, or political.
The inverted pyramid structure of journalism means the most emphasized facts appear first. Most readers never reach the bottom of an article, so whatever gets buried might as well not exist.
Source selection is a framing choice. Quoting three government officials and one critic creates a 3-to-1 framing ratio that makes the government position appear dominant — even if public opinion is split 50/50.
Real-World Example
A new economic policy is announced. Outlet A leads with 'Economy Adds 200,000 Jobs in Policy Win' while Outlet B leads with 'New Policy Leaves Millions Without Benefits.' Both facts are true. Both outlets are reporting accurately. But each has framed the same policy to tell a different story — one of success, one of failure.
Neither outlet is lying. The framing choice — what to emphasize and what to minimize — creates two completely different narratives from the same set of facts. The reader who only sees one headline leaves with a fundamentally different understanding of reality than the reader who sees the other.
How to Spot It
- Read the headline and ask: what is this story's angle? What other angles could exist?
- Check who is quoted and in what order. The first source often sets the narrative.
- Look at what is mentioned in the first two paragraphs vs what is buried at the bottom.
- Compare coverage of the same event across 3-4 outlets. Note what each emphasizes.
- Ask: whose perspective is centered? Whose is absent?
Why It Matters
Framing is arguably more powerful than outright lying because it is harder to fact-check. Every statement in a framed story can be technically true while still creating a misleading impression of reality. Understanding framing is essential for anyone who wants to understand not just what happened, but how the media wants you to understand what happened.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is narrative framing in news media?
Narrative framing is the editorial practice of structuring a news story to emphasize certain facts while minimizing or omitting others. It includes decisions about what angle to take, who to quote, what to put in the headline, and what context to include or exclude. Framing does not require lying — it manipulates truth by controlling emphasis and structure.
How does framing differ from bias?
Bias is a general tendency to favor one perspective. Framing is a specific technique — the structural decisions about how a story is built. A biased outlet uses framing consistently to support its perspective, but framing exists in all journalism. Even well-intentioned reporters frame stories through their editorial choices about what to lead with and what to omit.