CIG: Denver Public Relations, training, graphic design, research and proposal writing

The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Framing

Have you ever noticed how much better something looks when it�s in the right frame? Seriously. Looking around my office, I have about 10 pieces of framed memorabilia hanging on the walls � everything from the obligatory diplomas, to an amazing pencil sketch of my kids to a half-dozen or so various gatos � otherwise known as cats for you gringos. Yep, I�m a bit of a cat freak, I suppose. My collection of finely framed feline fur includes a cool watercolor of two Siamese gatos, compliments of my sister-in-law, that is beautifully, professionally framed with a steel blue matte and burnished black/brown frame that really makes the colors in the painting pop. Without this exquisite framing, the watercolor would still be beautiful, but not nearly as attention-worthy as it is in its current setting.

My favorite, though, is a clean black and white of my soon-to-be-20-year-old Girlie cat (yes that�s her name) sitting up like a squirrel under a shrub when she was six weeks old. This once-in-a-lifetime snapshot is prominently hung in a simple, black metal frame I chose myself, so as not to distract from the natural purity of the shot. So� what does this have to do with anything?

SWINE FLU!

Watching all of the coverage on the SWINE FLU! over the past couple of weeks on the news, around the water cooler, etc., you�d think that mankind had finally stumbled unceremoniously upon the end of days. This is it! This is the big one! We�re talking PANDEMIC here, folks!!! Yeah, right.

This is the classic case of a framing job gone horribly, horribly wrong. Whether its our friends in the media, as was the case with SWINE FLU!, or the latest public agency touting receipt of ARRA funds, the dangers of Do-It-Yourself Framing are clear: Know the facts and frame them properly � your credibility depends on it!

The recent SWINE FLU! frenzy is, of course, not surprising, given the 24/7 news cycle that way too many news outlets are trying desperately to fill. In their frantic search to find enough actual �news� to fill the void, news conglomerates did their best to frame SWINE FLU! as big news� REALLY BIG NEWS!

Of course, contrary to the pure truth of the six-week-old Girlie cat, which needs but a simple frame to clearly and accurately communicate, swine flu has turned out to be too much framing for the real picture, letting us all see, once again, how Do-It-Yourself Framing can result in less-than-professional results. Don�t get me wrong� successful communication has everything to do with proper framing � the operative word being �proper.� Our friends in the media really do need our help � the folks who represent the pig industry knew that. Did anyone notice the sudden switch from SWINE FLU! to H1N1? I sure did. Of course, despite their best efforts to re-frame, the proverbial cat was already out of the bag (or frame?) and the pork industry took an unfair beating. Ah well� we all have our lessons to learn. Picking the right frame to support the communication of your message is an art, a science and a downright necessity.

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