FRAME
FRAME helps define what a story seeks to change and the conditions needed for that change to happen.
An editorial intention becomes more precise when it names the audiences concerned, the intended changes and the proposed mechanisms. FRAME works through these questions with teams. This framing supports creative decisions and prepares their evaluation.
Theory of Change is widely used in social action and philanthropy to structure why and how an intervention should work. It makes explicit the expected links between activities, intermediate outcomes and longer-term effects in a given context.
OurFrame applies this approach to media: defining the intended change, the audiences concerned and the reasons a story might contribute to that change. Theory of Change informs decisions about design, distribution and measurement.
For each project, we define the intended change and the audiences concerned. We then explain how the content could contribute to that change, with what resources and under what conditions.
Each link rests on assumptions and conditions to examine. Observations allow the Theory of Change to be revised as the project develops.
In the work of Fishbein and Ajzen, the intention to act is linked to attitudes towards a behaviour, perceived social norms and perceived control over the action. This model helps identify which determinants the story seeks to change.
COM-B examines the capabilities, opportunities and motivation that make a behaviour possible. It also helps identify material or social barriers over which content alone has little influence.
The hypotheses are made explicit, alongside indicators and conditions for success. Existing research informs decisions about storytelling, format and distribution. TRACE results then help revise this framing.