Levels of Visual Framing: A New Method for a New Paradigm

Framing as a theory of communication in the news media has received much attention and coverage from scholars since its inception by Erving Goffman (1974). A paradigm shift in framing studies has only recently occurred, however, as scholars are increasingly looking at the importance, salience, and enduring-power of visuals to complement and amplify the effects of verbal statements. Though there have been scholars engaged in visual framing studies (i.e., Abraham & Appiah, 2006; Borah, 2009; Brantner, Lobinger, & Wetzstein, 2011; Frosh, 2011; Geske & Brown, 2008; Lake & Pickering, 1998; Mullen, 1997; Parry, 2011), an article published last year highlights the disjointed nature of these inquiries and proposes a systematic method for analyzing and interpreting such use of visuals as a framing device (Rodriguez & Dimitrova, 2011). My review of this article will highlight the usefulness of the proposed method as evidenced by my use of the method for my final paper in Media and Politics at USC with Dr. Tom Hollihan analyzing the covers of TIME Magazine and their representation of international leaders and domestic figures during times of global conflict.

Rodriguez and Dimitrova (2011) begin by outlining modern framing literature and the steps that scholars have taken to incorporate visual framing into their analyses. Describing current visual framing studies as lacking “conceptual and methodological consistency, Rodriguez and Dimitrova outline a four-step process which I have adopted to test its benefits and drawbacks (2011). For the sake of brevity, I have included here one image to illustrate the process.

Here is an image of General MacArthur during World War II which is included in my larger paper analysis and will be the example for this post. The first step of the process is to describe in full what is in the image from the foreground, background, large items, and small detail. The second step is to describe stylistic features such as the use of color, size, camera angle, visual effects, and manipulation within the image. Level three interprets symbols and objects in the image for meanings. The final level creates an overarching and coherent narrative and interpretation of the image by combining description, stylistic elements, and symbolism.

Though this is a simple process, its clear outline and distinctive steps provides more comparative analysis between scholars than merely a description of the image or another interpretation with less structure. Although I believe this simplicity might leave some important aspects of the visual framing process lacking, this process was sufficient in providing the framework for the analysis of the TIME Magazine covers for my paper. Before I outline some possible areas of improvement, here is the analysis of General MacArthur's cover as interpreted using Rodriguez and Drimitrova's process (2011).

The cover image shows a drawn picture of General MacArthur in full military attire from the shoulders up looking off to the left. MacArthur is standing before a flag, which has a blue background with a red circle in the middle with white stars circling it and slightly puncturing its edges. His expression is one of determination and focus as he is framed by the large background of the flag. The image color scheme is that of red, white, and blue, patriotic colors framing the large and centrally featured military figure. MacArthur's flag symbolizes America with its blue background and white stars wounding and attacking the red dot of the Japanese flag in its center. His appearance in the front of the image from the shoulders up may symbolize his disposition as a statue, unwavering and strong. MacArthur is represented as a powerful, patriotic American leader and military commander who has surrounded Japan with American military might and has damaged the enemy, perhaps to the point of incapacitation. Unworried about the scene behind him, MacArthur is looking towards the future, perhaps to the next battle to be won or foe to be defeated.

This process provides a consistent description as featured above to which I compared all of the cover images selected for the paper across various conflicts, time periods, and geographic representations. One benefit of this model is thus the ability to compare images across different spaces and with different origins to one another to elicit overall patterns and schema of portrayal. Although I used only TIME covers, this process could be used to compare images from different publications, media, and sources.

The detriment I find to this method is the lack of what I believe is a necessary fifth stage. The description focuses solely on the image itself and loses much symbolic and interpretive value that could be gleaned from contextualization. I would add a fifth layer to this process by also encouraging scholars to contextualize the image, interrogate its source and purpose for being used, as well as possible historical significance, temporal events relevance, and the creator's background and agenda. Included in this fifth stage would also be insights into the political economy of the news media and how that influences image selection and manipulation.

For example, pro-life and pro-choice groups may use the same image of pregnant woman to advocate for their position, but without contextualizing the group and its message, the interpretations would be the same from Rodriguez and Dimitrova's process. Additionally, viewing an image of George W. Bush's “mission accomplished” picture may be interpreted as a patriotic, military celebration of a war's success. But knowledge of the Iraq War and its specific staging as a propaganda device (Hollihan, 2008) creates a more accurate and inclusion interpretation of the image as a comical public relations attempt to commemorate a failed invasion based on fabrication that led to scandal and mockery in the media.

These are just a few examples of when an image's source can be just as important as the image content, which is why I would offer its inclusion in importance to contemporary scholars who are interested in studying the power of visual framing.

Firsts in American Politics: Romney vs Obama 2012 and the Future of Diversity

Submitting proofs for my first published article in communication this week was surreal. A project I had worked on for so long had finally been recognized by the academic community. I was even more thrilled to find out that the article (about the 2008 presidential campaign) is going to be published in early November, just in time for the 2012 election. The timing could not be more perfect, then, to address today's blog post about the 2012 election season and momentous “firsts” in American politics.

Though it is cliched, I believe this discussion of the 2012 campaign could not be contextualized without first mentioning the importance of the 2008 election in achieving a historic first: the first African American president of the United States. Just as voting transitioned from white males to black males (all males) to females, the presidency appears to be transitioning in the same fashion. Hilary Clinton, though quite successful and truly a formidable contender for the 2008 democratic nominee, was unable to break the patriarchal hierarchy that is American politics. Additionally, the 2012 election may bring a new first: the first Mormon president. Though I have discussed the importance of this in a previous post, I would like to mention here briefly how the labeling of Mormonism as a “secretive cult” only further reinforces how standardized the candidates for presidents have truly become. When someone like Romney, wealthy, white, and male can be facing an abandonment of Republican voters because his religion (though he believes in a Christian God and Jesus Christ) is considered too far from mainstream Christianity to be considered a good, moral man. I use this as an example of how far American has yet to go in order to be truly accepting of all types as viable political candidates.

Many countries around the world, developed, developing, undeveloped have elected minority and female leaders, though US politics has continually remained white and male. Our 112th Senate is only 17% female and the House with a similar ratio (17.5%) of females and in total, 86.5% of Congress is Caucasian.  Why is the land of the free and the home of the brave ruled by a representative democracy that could be called anything but representative?

In her new book, Sister Citizen, Marissa V. Harris-Perry outlines the importance of Obama's presidency but also how still underrepresented black Americans (and specifically black women) are in the political system and in the voting process. A stirring read, it outlines the dichotomy of representation that I have alluded to above. Only through increased voter participation and an adjustment of current voting regulations (as I discussed in last week's post), do I feel that politics will truly mirror and represent the people. Our country was founded on this lack of representation and the evils of persecution and exclusion, so where is our revolutionary spirit?

This all reminds me of a tour I took of the capitol, where there is a statue of four female figures with one bust yet uncarved. This statue remains unfinished for the first female president. Its existence as an unfinished process is a beautiful tragedy, for it simultaneously highlights how far inclusion has come, but how we still have a journey ahead of us. We can no more say that we have reached full inclusion for all genders than we have for all races, sexualities, or even religions. The political system has many firsts yet to come and although Obama's election was a momentous day and the first step in that process, I look forward to future elections where the primary debates can be an array of people, instead of carbon copy rich, white males.

The competition between the first Mormon president or the first two-term black president is approaching with the next tidal wave of politics. But the first female president, the first Hispanic president, the first Muslim president, and the first LGBTQ president is on the horizon, far off but visible, perhaps in our lifetimes we can achieve as many “firsts” as possible.

Research Tools for Students and Faculty: Boomerang

I was only recently introduced to Boomerang for Gmail, but it has already proven extremely useful for balancing the necessity of being prompt on emails and the rest of my graduate study. This extension for Gmail allows you to write emails and schedule them to be delivered at a later date and time in the future. The benefits and variety of uses are endless for this simple email tool, which I will list below. In addition, messages that are emailed to you can be "boomeranged" back to the top of your inbox at a later date, so it appears as a higher priority at a time that you are available to address it.

Uses as a student/faculty member:

• work late into the night but schedule messages for the next morning
• remain professional with your time stamps
• have the email be at the top of their inbox in the morning without sending it then
• schedule emails when you know people will be available
• if a professor has office hours, schedule an email to remind them the morning of that you will be stopping by
• if a professor/student only comes to campus on certain days, have an email sent on that day when you know they will be checking their work email
• stay ahead on your to-do list
• there may be a time sensitive email with a deadline (teaching assistant preferences, request for clearance to take classes, coordinating study groups, etc) that you know well in advance but it is not appropriate to be too early, so scheduling it for later (even months in the future) can take it off your plate well ahead of time
• let your email be your to-do list by scheduling emails to yourself to remember to print articles, look something up before class, or ask a question of a professor when you know you'll have some free time in your day
• be proactive and persistent for getting responses
• selecting "boomerang if I don't here back" emails allows you to be reminded of unanswered questions without doing math or remembering yourself if it has been long enough to re-send an email

My list is not by any means inclusive and if you have found any more uses, please feel free to comment! Boomerang has already been a great help to me in my graduate work and I hope that others find it useful as well!