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Frame of Reference
A specific perspective suggesting beliefs or assumptions about an issue or thing that is put forth for audience consumption. Media studies focuses on the frames constructed by media sources (such as news organizations) that characterize, relay, and construct meaning about events and individuals in the public sphere. Media frames are viewed as influencing the perception of individuals in the direction of the viewpoint presented in the frames. The selection of rhetoric and visual communication are of particular attention in the construction of media frames; these elements of study can be specialized to examine the representation of gender, race, and other constructs. Framing theory is used particularly in political communication and is frequently applied to analyze television programs, candidate speeches and Web sites, and the coverage ...