Frames of Reference, Part 2 - The Three Fs of Framing

When it come to what frames of reference do, there are "Three Fs" worth remembering. 

Frames of reference:

• FOCUS attention on what information is important. The frame acts like a lens, showing the audience what's crucial and what's not.

• FILTER out information that is either unimportant or does not fit the frame of reference.  The is like a polarizing lens, only letting through the light that fits the angle of polarization.  When facts don't fit the frame, those facts are discarded or reinterpreted to fit the frame.

• FILL-IN the meaning of the facts that fit the frame.  Frames of reference provide additional information to the audience that is not explicitly stated in the messages the audience receives.  The information implied by the frame of reference the audience is using often becomes more important than the messages themselves in determining how the audience understands what it hears.

So, when you're thinking about framing, remember the Three Fs - focus, filter and fill-in.