Chapter 7: Framing the Story in a Corporate Campaign.

The basic element of framing is expanded by the research of focusing on the essence of the issues at hand rather than on a particular topic. The way, in which the news is brought, the frame in which the news is presented can be perceived very differently by the public. Frames are abstract notions that serve to organize or structure social meanings and it influences the perception of the news of the audience.

Framing is a quality of communication that leads others to accept one meaning over another. Essentially, framing consists of three elements: language, thought and forethought. Language acts to transform the way in how the public view the situation. To use language, people must have thought and reflected on their own interpretive frameworks and those of others. In order to frame news spontaneously, it is essential to have the forethought to predict framing opportunities.

Relating the relationship of the news media and the Public Relations industry is an increasingly complex one.

The media is the central vehicle to disseminate information, for most of the PR industry's messages. Most PR practitioners desire to place their stories in the media channel and, without being able to do this, PR would lose one of its main avenues for communication with the public. For many organizations, it is essential to establish positive media relations. Media is very influential and they have the ability to generate positive media coverage, which is fundamental to establishing and maintaining the reputation of a business entity. Media coverage is generated in a variety of ways and is usually conducted through a thoroughly planned strategic public relations campaign. No doubt, a media pitch resulting in maximum media coverage is made easy by developing a media list that focuses squarely on the correct media outlets, reporters and editors.

Let’s use one of the oldest names in the business, Louis Vuitton to do a case study.

Louis Vuitton: A French Saga was published in France. It alleged that the long-established and well-known French luxury luggage company had collaborated with the pro-Nazi Vichy regime after France’s defeat at the hands of Germany in 1940. The book described how Louis Vuitton ran a factory, which produced artifacts glorifying the regime’s leader, Marshal Petain, and how it became the only company allowed to run a shop within the building used by the regime as its seat of government. The Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy Group, the company’s current owners, did not dispute the facts in the book. Despite this, these seemingly newsworthy revelations were hardly reported in the French media. Why? A newspaper article in the UK drew attention to the fact that Louis Vuitton is France’s biggest advertiser. A company spokesperson told Le Canard Enchaine, a satirical magazine and the only French media outlet to report the story: “We haven’t put any pressure on anyone. If the journalists want to censor themselves, then that suits us fine.”

From this case study, it is evident that aside from having a good marketing line, PR also has to be creative and ingenious, by feeding the media with irresistible stories and images that they will want to use. To be successful, PR of this kind has to focus on what might be of interest to the media and, by extension, their readers, viewers, and listeners. Despite the negative news coverage, why do people still patronize this luxury brand? While newsworthiness here is a slippery concept, the news is framed in such a way that it is juicy and has a local angle for the local media, which makes the story good. This media coverage contains the desired name check for the organization and, it does not make clear that the media’s customers are actually receiving a PR product.