Frame Finding #007: The “Referee” Metaphor
Elon Musk reframes AI regulators as sports referees—necessary for fairness, but counterproductive in excess. It’s a powerful metaphor that shifts the debate from policy to playability.
Frame Finding #006: The Deflection Stack
When asked what Qatar expects in return for a $400 million jet, Trump’s envoy doesn’t answer. Instead, he builds a stack of deflections—legal, moral, and personal—that shift attention away from influence and toward praise. This is layered spin with structure.
Frame Finding #005: What Eric Schmidt Isn’t Saying About AI
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt frames AI as a force of progress—first through awe, then through warning. But beneath the stories, analogies, and hypotheticals lies a deeper narrative: one that omits the real costs. This post breaks down the three biggest framing moves in his TED Talk—and what happens when influence is built not on argument, but on what’s left unsaid.
Frame Finding #004: The “Brake Failure” Metaphor
A veteran air traffic controller used a striking metaphor to describe FAA system failures: “It’s like driving your car knowing the brakes will go out at any time.” This post breaks down why that framing works—and how you can use metaphor to convey urgency without shouting.
Frame Finding #003: Emotional Health, Framed Like STEM
On Meet the Press, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy framed emotional regulation in schools the same way we once framed STEM: as a national investment in competitiveness. This post breaks down the analogy and why it works.
Frame Finding #002: Same Facts, Different Frame
Multiple headlines described the same Syrian leader in radically different terms—“interim president” in one, “former jihadist” in another. This post breaks down how a single attribute can reframe an entire narrative.
Frame Finding #001: When a fallacy is the frame
When a message sounds logical but shifts your attention from the truth to the speaker’s motive, you’re not hearing an argument—you’re experiencing a fallacy as a frame. This post unpacks how that works, using a real quote to show how logic quietly gets bypassed.
The Science Behind Our Obsession with Negative Framing
Negative framing grabs attention fast—but why are we so drawn to it? This post unpacks the psychology behind our fixation on threats, risks, and bad news, and explores how communicators can use (or resist) that pull with intention.
How Positive and Negative Frames Shape Your Message
How Positive and Negative Frames Shape Your Message Positive and negative frames are woven into nearly every type of communication we encounter. And they are the backbone of how messages influence perception and drive action. Let’s face it, communication is hard. Understanding how to leverage these frames is can make it easier to communicate and … Read more
Metaphors in Communication: The Risks and Rewards
Metaphors are bridges that connect complex ideas with the familiar, making abstract concepts accessible. Metaphors can enrich strategic messaging, but without enough thought, they can also have unintended interpretations. Metaphors and analogies are a type of frame in communications. This blog covers three topics: A warning about metaphors through an example. Simple directions on ow to create a … Read more