What Is Message Framing? How Does It Relate to Advocacy

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The Answer is Extensive information exists regarding the way communication influences perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Just as paid media advertisements have the potential to shape consumers' perceptions of and decisions about using products, the way in which an advocacy position is communicated can shape audience perceptions on social issues and influence the likelihood of behavioral action. A primary characteristic involved in investigations and evaluations of the impact of communications on perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors is message framing. Message framing refers to the process whereby one message, among two or more messages with contrasting words or phrases, is preferred by individuals, even when the messages are logically equivalent. In other words, message framing occurs when, given a consistent outcome across multiple messages, different words or phrases within the messages demonstrate predictable individual preferences among the messages.
Effective communication is the bedrock of successful advocacy work, making it possible to influence public discourse in a way that gives shape and substance to the policy landscape. Message framing is thereby important because it can provide the consumer with an alternative way of processing information and, ultimately, provide a signal for how the communicator feels about a given social situation. By understanding the context in which effective communication occurs, advocates and advocacy partners can align messaging and potentially have a positive effect on social issues via advocacy.

What Is Message Framing? How Does It Relate to Advocacy

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