FrameWorks Institute

Guiding Narrative Change: Considerations for the Philanthropic Field

What is narrative change, and why does it matter? Our new report with @packardfdn.bsky.social explores tools and strategies to shift narratives.

www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/gu...

#OnFrameFriday: Offering a “just the facts” review of a social issue to convey justice rarely has the intended effect.

Framing facts well helps clarify problems and guide solutions.

#OnFrameFriday: Explaining problems is key to solving them, but focusing too much on them can cause disengagement.

Make the possibility of solutions come alive. Explain, in step-by-step fashion, how certain solutions would help create a system that better meets people’s needs going forward.

Smart framing can increase immunization rates The measles outbreak that began in West Texas in late January has led to more than 400 cases, at least 70 hospitalizations, and the first U.S.

In her latest piece for The Contrarian, FrameWorks senior advisor Dr. Julie Sweetland explores how effective framing can build understanding of what vaccines do and help open minds to new ideas about their benefits.

contrarian.substack.com/p/smart-fram...

#OnFrameFriday: We have the opportunity to build understanding about the policy choices that have shaped our current social systems. When we point to the structural causes, we not only make it easier to identify appropriate measures and solutions, we also stop harmful stereotypes in their tracks.

ICYMI: Check out @debeaumontfndtn.bsky.social's #NPHW live chat from today.

Communicating about public health is how we garner support, create trust, and advance health equity in all communities!

Thank you @debeaumontfndtn.bsky.social for sharing our resource! #NPHWchat

Excited to join @apha.org's National Public Public Health Week #NPHWchat tomorrow. Come join the conversation, #PublicHealthSky! #NPHW30

YouTube video by America Dissected A Bull-DOGE-er to HHS | America Dissected

FrameWorks CEO Nat Kendall-Taylor and senior advisor Julie Sweetland had a conversation with @abdulelsayed.bsky.social on our new research about American attitudes around vaccine hesitancy and how to frame productive public health conversations.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAuc...

#OnFrameFriday: Whether you're talking about climate change, injustice, immunization, or another tough social or political topic, make sure you meet people where they are. By using simple language and clear explanations, we make it easier for people to engage with our ideas.

A note on framing in turbulent times, FrameWorks Institute — The Communications Network Communicating right now is fraught. A lot of people are looking for answers and I wish I had them. But like you, my colleagues and I at FrameWorks are trying to figure out what is going on, what it me...

Communicating right now is fraught. Here is some advice on framing in turbulent times:

1. Frame messages around shared, enduring values.

2. Use clear language and consistently highlight solutions.

3. Shift from jargon to concrete explanations.

4. Don’t rebut; reframe.

@frameworks.bsky.social

YouTube video by FrameWorks Institute The Great Unrigging

In this new animated video, we discuss the “system is rigged” mindset: what it is, where it comes from, and how we can speak to it in ways that pave the way for systemic change.

Big shoutout to PopShift and Head Gear Animation for co-creating this video with us!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBt...

On #TransDayofVisibility let’s be clear that when we provide the personal, policy, and medical support that aligns with a young person’s gender identity, we ensure that they and the world they will inherit can thrive.

#OnFrameFriday: Fixing our social problems isn’t about winning an argument. It’s about finding new ways to converse that push us beyond seeing individual responsibility as the only answer.

2025 Virtual Conference - Public Health Communications Collaborative Insights to Practice is a no-cost, half-day virtual conference hosted by the Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) that will bring together

Tune in on Wednesday, March 26th at 3:05 p.m. ET as FrameWorks’ Dr. Julie Sweetland, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia from Trust for America's Health, and Allyn Brooks-LaSure from RWJF share research-informed insights on effectively communicating about health equity in today’s environment.

#OnFrameFriday: Make sure that your numbers come with a clear explanation.

When we use numbers to convince people that the problem exists, hoping one statistic will shift them from apathy to action, we can often hurt our cause.

We’re HIRING📣

We're looking for a Project Manager to support our Health Justice program area.

We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Interested individuals who are BIPOC, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply.

Click here to learn more:

#OnFrameFriday: When we tell stories that focus on the success of a single person, we leave people out and miss an opportunity for our story to have greater impact.

By using a wider lens, we can make sure that personal stories are relevant to everyone, not just to people with similar experiences.

#OFF: When framed effectively, a compelling statistic can help people understand a topic more deeply. But often, communicators use data in ways that fall flat or send messages we don’t intend.

But these same facts are powerful when integrated into a story that is framed with a productive value.

As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, we face efforts to suppress discussions about our history.

Framing history through the lens of progress—especially toward justice—guides people to creating a just future. Let’s continue reflecting and learning this Black History Month and beyond.

Jen Rubin interviews Dr. Julie Sweetland on disinformation in the scientific community With today marking the first day of Robert F.

Check out the conversation between Jen Rubin from The Contrarian and FrameWorks’ senior advisor, Dr. Julie Sweetland, about the importance of clarity, trusted messengers, and repeat-repeat-repeating our most important messages.

Watch the full conversation: contrarian.substack.com/p/jen-rubin-...

How-To Guide: Shifting the Narrative about Childhood Obesity

4. How-To Guide: Shifting the Narrative about Childhood Obesity - www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/ho...

Lead with the Value of Dignity: Explain the Frame, Episode 1

3. Talking about Disparities with a "Dignity" Frame - www.frameworksinstitute.org/articles/lea...

Explaining the Value of Public Health The framing strategies below can help to reorient conversations and build understanding about why public health matters and how it works.

2. Explaining the Value of Public Health - www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/ex...

Reframing the Conversation about Child and Adolescent Vaccinations

Our national political conversation on health is hard to navigate right now. Here are 4 framing resources to help you effectively talk to your audiences about pressing health topics:

1. Reframing the Conversation about Child and Adolescent Vaccinations- www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/re...

Filling in the Blanks: Contesting What “the System is Rigged” Means

How can those of us working to build a more just world help shape what it means to say that “the system is rigged” in our society?

Check out our latest report that explores how this mindset works, the opportunities and dangers it poses, and more.

www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/fi...

Today is #MaternalHealthAwarenessDay.

As we see heightened national and political conversations about gender, it’s particularly important to use accurate and respectful language around gender, sex, and sexuality when talking about pregnancy and people – today and every day.

#OnFrameFriday: One of the strongest predictors of what people believe is the number of times they have heard it. Thus, repetition is powerful, and consistent framing is critical for large-scale social change.

#OFF: Sometimes, when translating research, we begin with directions focused on where NOT to go.

A more effective order for relating research-based ideas can look like: what was found (general principle/main conclusion), what it means (social implication), and how it was determined (methods).

How-To Guide: Shifting the Narrative about Childhood Obesity

How we frame child health and obesity shapes public understanding, policies, and practices that influence children’s wellbeing.

Our new report offers insights into framing child health and obesity in ways that can help advance support for structural change: bit.ly/3WbGHGV