DR-301f · Module 1

Framing Analysis

3 min read

The same data can tell opposite stories depending on how it is framed. A company that laid off 15% of staff is "right-sizing for profitability" or "cutting costs amid declining revenue." A product with 85% customer satisfaction is "industry-leading" or "failing 15% of customers." Framing analysis strips the interpretive layer from the data to reveal the underlying facts, then evaluates whether the framing is supported by or divergent from those facts.

Do This

  • Extract the raw data from the framing — what are the numbers, dates, and verifiable facts underneath the narrative?
  • Identify the chosen comparison frame — is the metric compared to last year, to competitors, or to a cherry-picked baseline?
  • Test the opposite frame — if you framed the same data negatively (or positively), would that frame be equally supported?
  • Note omitted context — what data would complete the picture that the source chose not to include?

Avoid This

  • Accept the framing as the finding — the framing is the source's interpretation, not the intelligence
  • Assume hostile framing means the data is wrong — the data may be correct even if the spin is aggressive
  • Ignore framing because you plan to do your own analysis — the framing reveals the source's bias, which is itself intelligence