Power to the frame: Bringing sociology back to frame analysis

Abstract

This article critically reviews current frame and framing research in media and communication studies. It is first argued that most authors fail to distinguish between ‘frame’ and ‘framing’ and therewith produce a conceptual confusion and imprecision that is not conducive to the field. Second, it is argued that current frame and framing research ignore sociological research about news production and news audiences that reached its zenith in the 1980s and is still conceptually and methodologically relevant to much current frame and framing research. As a result, a notion of power is absent from most current frame and framing research. By discussing — on the basis of key literature — what a news ‘frame’ is, how it comes about and how it is of consequence successively, these claims are substantiated and research directions for improving the field are indicated.