Doctor SpinThe PR BlogPersuasion & InfluenceFraming in PR: How To Bypass Confirmation Bias

Framing in PR: How To Bypass Confirmation Bias

Embrace every opportunity to use dynamic language.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

Framing in PR is a learnยญable lanยญguage skill.

Stakeholders and pubยญlics will likely perยญceive corยญporยญate mesยญsaging based on their pre-existยญing conยญfirmยญaยญtion biases.

โ€œWe donโ€™t see things as they are; we see things as we are.โ€
โ€” Anais Nin

Therefore, organยญisaยญtions must seize every opporยญtunยญity to frame their storยญies with lanยญguage that ampยญliยญfies their Core Message.

Here we go:

Persuasion Through Framing

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Persuasion Approach: Framing

Framing is a useยญful approach to persuasion:

Framing (in perยญsuaยญsion) = the rhetยญorยญicยญal use of dynamยญic lanยญguage to emphasยญise the straยญtegic PR objectยญive withยญin the conยญfines of a speยญcifยญic comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion activity.

In othยญer words, there are 1,000 ways to say anyยญthing. In PR, itโ€™s wise to choose words that proยญmote your cause.

  • In a demoยญcracy, comยญpetยญing interests will put forยญward the truths that best serve their purยญposes. If you care about your interests, you should spin for the win, too.

To perยญsuade (and mitยญigยญate conยญfirmยญaยญtion bias), PR proยญfesยญsionยญals can adopt an approach using the sevยญen modยญels of framยญing idenยญtiยญfied by Hallahan (1999):

โ€œThis paper idenยญtiยญfies 7 disยญtinct types of framยญing in pubยญlic relaยญtions, which can be used to straยญtegicยญally creยญate mesยญsages and audiยญence responses.โ€
Source: Journal of Public Relations Research 1Hallahan, K. (1999). Seven Models of Framing: Implications for Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 11, 205โ€‰โ€“โ€‰242. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹Sโ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹3โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹5โ€‹4โ€‹Xโ€‹Jโ€‹Pโ€‹Rโ€‹Rโ€‹1โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹3โ€‹_02

Each of these framยญing strategies can be used to tacยญticยญally navยญigยญate and counยญterยญact conยญfirmยญaยญtion bias, leadยญing audiยญences to reconยญsider their pre-estabยญlished beliefs and perceptions.

  • Framing of situยญations. Present a busiยญness situยญation in a new light to chalยญlenge existยญing biases. For example, framยญing a busiยญness setยญback as an opporยญtunยญity for innovation.
  • Framing of attribยญutes. Highlight difยญferยญent product or serยญvice attribยญutes that may not have been preยญviยญously conยญsidered to alter pubยญlic perception.
  • Framing of choices. Offer choices that lead the audiยญence to reconยญsider their preยญconยญceived notions, such as presentยญing an envirยญonยญmentยญally friendly, ethยญicยญal, and cost-effectยญive option.
  • Framing of actions. Frame the organisationโ€™s actions in a conยญtext that conยญtrasts with the audienceโ€™s expectยญaยญtions, like showยญcasยญing a corporationโ€™s charยญitยญable efforts in a way that counยญters a steยญreoยญtype of corยญporยญate greed.
  • Framing of issues. Re-frame pubยญlic issues to align with organยญisaยญtionยญal goals, subtly shiftยญing the audienceโ€™s focus and preconceptions.
  • Framing of responsยญibยญilยญity. Shifting the narยญratยญive about who or what is responsยญible for a parยญticยญuยญlar situยญation can change the audienceโ€™s beliefs about causยญalยญity or fault.
  • Framing of news. Leverage media framยญing to present storยญies in a light that chalยญlenges existยญing biases, for instance, by focusยญing on underยญreยญporยญted aspects of a story.

Learn more: Framing in PR: How To Bypass Confirmation Bias

๐Ÿ’ก Subscribe and get a free ebook on how to get betยญter PR ideas.

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Dynamic Language in Leadership Communication

Framing in leadยญerยญship comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion is cruยญcial because it allows leadยญers to effectยญively conยญnect with and influยญence their diverse audiยญences in variยญous contexts. 

By using dynamยญic lanยญguage with metaยญphors, jarยญgon, conยญtrasts, spin, and storytelling, leadยญers can tailยญor their mesยญsages to resยญonยญate with difยญferยญent groups, whethยญer employยญees, stakeยญholdยญers, or publics

โ€œEffective leadยญerยญship is achieved through effectยญive framยญing, which involves using metaยญphors, jarยญgon, conยญtrasts, spin, and storยญies to comยญmuยญnicยญate effectยญively and estabยญlish credยญibยญilยญity.โ€
Source: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 2Fairhurst, G., & Sarr, R. (1996). The Art of Framing: Managing the Language of Leadership. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 53, โ€ฆ Continue readยญing

Metaphors and storยญies help simยญpliยญfy comยญplex ideas and make them relatยญable while using speยญcifยญic jarยญgon can estabยญlish credยญibยญilยญity withยญin a parยญticยญuยญlar field. Contrasts and spin aid in highยญlightยญing key points and shapยญing perspectives. 

This dynamยญic approach to framยญing not only ensures clarยญity and underยญstandยญing but also builds trust and credยญibยญilยญity. It allows leadยญers to navยญigยญate difยญferยญent culยญturยญal, social, and proยญfesยญsionยญal landยญscapes, ensurยญing their mesยญsage is not just heard but is influยญenยญtial, perยญsuasยญive, and motivating. 

โ€œLeadersโ€™ framยญing abilยญitยญies are influยญenced by their social conยญstrucยญtionยญism, mesยญsage design logics, and whethยญer they are a teachยญable skill.โ€
Source: Leadership 3Fairhurst, G. (2005). Re-framยญing The Art of Framing: Problems and Prospects for Leadership. Leadership, 1, 165โ€‰โ€”โ€‰185. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹4โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹0โ€‹0โ€‹5โ€‹0โ€‹5โ€‹1โ€‹857

Using dynamยญic lanยญguage in leadยญerยญship comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion is about conยญveyยญing informยญaยญtion and mesยญsages that inspire, engage, and drive meanยญingยญful action.

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Thanks for readยญing. Please supยญport my blog by sharยญing artยญicles with othยญer comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions and marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals. You might also conยญsider my PR serยญvices or speakยญing engageยญments.

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Use this free Persuasion PR Course to elevยญate your pubยญlic relaยญtions game with powerยญful insights. Drive impact and influยญence like nevยญer before.

Learn more: All Free PR Courses

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PR Resource: Communicative Leadership

The Checklist for Communicative Leadership

Being a great leadยญer can be dauntยญing. However, with effort (and attenยญtion to detail), all leadยญers can pracยญtice expressยญive and preยญcise communication.

โ€œThe single biggest probยญlem in comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion is the illuยญsion that it has taken place.โ€
โ€” George Bernard Shaw

How can you ensure your leadยญerยญship is expressยญive and preยญcise in pracยญticยญal situations? 

As a rule of thumb:

  • Itโ€™s genยญerยญally betยญter to โ€œover-comยญmuยญnicยญateโ€ (tolยญerยญable added effort) than โ€œunder-comยญmuยญnicยญateโ€ (subยญstanยญtial added risk).

Make sure to pass these comยญmuยญnicยญatยญive leadยญerยญship checks:

  • This is what we are doing.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is why we are doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is who will be doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is how we are doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is when we are doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is where we are doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?
  • This is for whom we are doing it.
    Is the explanยญaยญtion clear? Do you have quesยญtions? Can you repeat the informยญaยญtion back to me?

โ€œExpressive and preยญcise comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion styles have a stronger link to leadยญer outยญcomes than perยญsonยญalยญity traits extraยญverยญsion and conยญscienยญtiousยญness.โ€
Source: Human Performance 4Bakker-Pieper, A., & Vries, R. (2013). The Incremental Validity of Communication Styles Over Personality Traits for Leader Outcomes. Human Performance, 26, 1โ€‰โ€”โ€‰โ€ฆ Continue readยญing

Communicative Leadership (Infographic)

Learn more: The Checklist for Communicative Leadership

ANNOTATIONS
ANNOTATIONS
1 Hallahan, K. (1999). Seven Models of Framing: Implications for Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 11, 205โ€‰โ€“โ€‰242. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹Sโ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹3โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹5โ€‹4โ€‹Xโ€‹Jโ€‹Pโ€‹Rโ€‹Rโ€‹1โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹3โ€‹_02
2 Fairhurst, G., & Sarr, R. (1996). The Art of Framing: Managing the Language of Leadership. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 53, 2670โ€‰โ€“โ€‰2671. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹9โ€‹3โ€‹/โ€‹aโ€‹jโ€‹hโ€‹pโ€‹/โ€‹5โ€‹3โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹1โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹670
3 Fairhurst, G. (2005). Re-framยญing The Art of Framing: Problems and Prospects for Leadership. Leadership, 1, 165โ€‰โ€”โ€‰185. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹4โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹0โ€‹0โ€‹5โ€‹0โ€‹5โ€‹1โ€‹857
4 Bakker-Pieper, A., & Vries, R. (2013). The Incremental Validity of Communication Styles Over Personality Traits for Leader Outcomes. Human Performance, 26, 1โ€‰โ€”โ€‰19. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹0โ€‹/โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹9โ€‹5โ€‹9โ€‹2โ€‹8โ€‹5โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹.โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹6โ€‹900
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

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