ABSTRACT
News frames help journalists interpret and explain events, problems, and issues. They distill complex debates and policies to their essential elements, defining responsibility for problems and suggesting directions for action. This chapter describes the extant research on the development of frames (i.e., frame building) and their effects on audiences (i.e., frame setting). The authors address the audience experience of news frames, focusing on the psychological processes of construct accessibility and applicability and on differences between frame setting and other effects of exposure to news. They conclude with suggestions for further research on the effects of frames in contemporary, fragmented news environments.
