A story can be told in many different ways. The variations can be linked to the storyteller tone and intentionallity, the context, even our own state of mind.
This 'telling of the story' has been used by media to "set the agenda" by focusing the audience attention to specific events, but also -in some cases- from very restrictive perspectives. This is what is called Framing.
Show the participants the photo Paris01 of the heads of state demonstrating on the streets of Paris to demonstrate their solidarity in opposition to the attacks against Charlie Hebdo, a Jewish supermarket and the police in Paris and ask them what does the image suggest to them. Take note of their ideas on the flipchart.
Next show the group the photo Paris02, and ask them is the new perspective on the same event have changed their initial perception. Point out that this is the same story told from different points of views, and that the difficulty is that in most occassions media is offering exclusively the same point of view, and by doing so it shapes our understanding of society, events, individuals...
As an example, you can next show the group the original trailer and the trailer recuts of some famous movies. For example
Choose the film trailer according to your audience. If you feel they might not know the original movie, play the original trailer, have a discussion about the genre and the elements that would identify that genre, then watch the recut version and have a similar discussion.
Take this discussion to radio. If we want to inform the audience, is it fair on them to impose a specific point of view? Discuss what elements media, and particularly radio, use to embed extra-meaning to the message -background music, editing, selection of sources...)
Get participants to envisage how an event can be told in radio to create different reactions and to consider what elements they will need to introduce to ensure the expected understanding of the event by the audience.
Here is where the concept of Framing (see attached notes) can be introduced.
Room with chairs and internet connection
projector, laptop with speakers,
flip chart, markers