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Framing: in-class exercises

Language does our thinking for us, and one of the ways in which it does that is through
framing, which is a process by which the emphasis or construction of a message affects
how audiences interpret and evaluate issues. In this 2-part in-class exercise, you will
explore different ways in which mainstream news media discuss contemporary issues,
investigate the relationship between ontology and framing, and analyze the use of
persuasive techniques (e.g., inoculation, descriptive norms and injunctive norms) in
mainstream news media.
Please bring your tablet or laptop to class on Sept 6 (Tue) for the in-class exercise
Part 1: Due at the beginning of class on Sept 6 (Tue.)
1. Please sign up for one of the topics in class on Sept 1
1. Those who are absent on Sept 1 will be randomly assigned a topic by Dr. Lee
after class
2. If you dont already know your group members, please introduce yourself and
exchange contact information for coordination, etc.
3. If you know already know that you are going to be absent on Sept 6, please
email your examples to one of your teammates, in the required format (See
below) before Sept 6 so you can at least get credit for Part 1.
2. Each member is expected to find 2 digital examples of how the news media make a
case for each side of the argument (e.g., 2 examples of how mainstream news media
talk about abortion from pro-choices perspective, and 2 examples of how mainstream
news media talk about abortion from pro-lifes perspective)
1. Available options include, but are not limited to news articles, audio or videos
from (a) national, metropolitan and local newspapers, (b) national broadcast
TV channels such as ABC, NBC and CBS or local broadcast TV channels that
are affiliated with these three, (c) radio news channels such as NPR. If you
have question about the suitability of your example, please feel free to ask me.
3. Everyone is expected to have all 4 examples listed in the required format: (a) name
of the person who found the article, (b) titles, (c) sources, and (d) URLs before
coming to class on Sept 6. Keep a digital copy of your citations on your laptop for
class use on Thursday. Failure to do so will result in a zero for Part 1.
1. (a) Dr. Lee, (b) Same-sex couples can convert civil union into marriage (c)
The Herald-News (d) http://www.theherald-news.com/2014/05/01/same-sexcouples-can-convert-civil-union-into-marriage/aa8m12t/
2. (b) Dr. Lee, (b) Same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships
(c) The New York Times, (d) http://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/samesexmarriage-civil-unions-and-domestic-partnerships

Part 2: Due by the end of class on Sept 6 (Tue.)


Each group will submit one post to the course blog, using framing exercise as the label,
answering the following questions
1. (a) Which two frames are you examining? (b) Who is working in your group
today?
2. Please copy and paste your contributions from Part 1 in the following manner:
1. (a) Dr. Lee, (b) Same-sex couples can convert civil union into
marriage (c) The Herald-News (d) http://www.theheraldnews.com/2014/05/01/same-sex-couples-can-convert-civil-union-intomarriage/aa8m12t/
3. What is the most common supporting evidence used by both sides? (EX: over
50% of the pro-choice articles cite the bible)
4. Does any article use Cialdinis 6 persuasive strategies, descriptive norms, and/or
injunctive norms in any form? If so, please elaborate as to practice linking
theories to real-world examples. If not, please put down N/A
5. What is the ontological nature of both frames? In other words, how are the two
sides viewing the core of the issue differently? (EX: Proponents of pro-life
believe that life begins at conception, hence abortion is killing and should thus not
be legalized. Whereas proponents of pro-choice believe that life begins at birth,
hence what a woman wants to do to her body is her choice and the state should
not interfere. In essence, the two sides differ in how they define life.)
6. If you were to write a news article on the topic, what would a neutral frame
look like? Please explain
7. Please use framing exercise as a label for this in-class exercise
You will be graded based on how well your group answers all the questions on the course
blog, though there are no right or wrong answers per se. Critical analysis and creativity
are important, and you are expected to polish your post so it is devoid of typos or
grammatical errors. Each typo will result in a one-point deduction.
It is expected that everyone participates actively and responsibly in both parts of the
exercise. If you wish to fill out an optional peer evaluation form (i.e., to profile an
uncooperative or irresponsible group member), please feel free to email me or see me
after class on Sept 6.
Last but not least, have fun!

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