Framing is the way you present information or describe a situation, which shapes how others understand and react to it. The same facts can seem completely different depending on how they're framed.

When a student tells their parents “I got a B on my test,” that's one frame. Saying “I got the second-highest score in the class” frames the exact same grade differently. Both statements are true, but they emphasize different aspects and create different impressions. The facts haven't changed, but the frame around them has.

In photography and film, framing means choosing what to include in your shot and what to leave out. A photographer frames a picture by deciding where to point the camera and how close to zoom in. That same principle applies to how we present ideas: what you emphasize, what you downplay, and what you leave out entirely all affect how people perceive the situation.

Politicians, journalists, and advertisers think carefully about framing because they know it influences people's opinions. A news story might frame a new law as “protecting families” or “restricting freedom,” and those different frames will make readers feel very differently about the same legislation. Understanding framing helps you recognize when someone is trying to influence how you think about something, and it helps you present your own ideas more effectively.