[Fake News] How the public broadcaster in Germany frames the public - Framing 2019-04-24

In 2017 Elisabeth Wehling wrote framing manual on behalf of the public broadcaster ARD in Germany in four parts. This framing manual gives instructions on how the public service broadcasting can be shown in positive light. Framing comes from communication science and describes how statements can be embedded in a context to evoke certain associations. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

1. Teil 1 Unser Rundfunk ARD (Legitimation) [1,p.23]
2. Teil 2 Freiheit (Unabhängigkeit) [1,p.43]
3. Teil 3 Beteiligung (Beitragsakzeptanz) [1,p.51]
4. Teil 4 Zuverlässigkeit (Reform & Zukunft) [1,p.64]

[1,p.6] In February 2019 the framing manual of Elisabeth Wehling was leaked by Netzpolitik.org. However the manual does not intend to turn the staff of the public broadcaster into better journalists. The manual serves to better defend the fee for the public broadcaster and to sell the reporting more effectively. In addition the handbook confirms the allegations that there is an internally agreed newspeak and language rules with wich are argued rather than facts and objectivity. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Framing is a process of communication and describes how statements can be embedded in a certain context. In this case associations with certain topics, qualities or moral dimensions can be evoked. Words and statements with the same content can usually be predicated on different expressions. As a result framing inevitably occurs. An exception are purely mathematical or scientific contexts.

Let's move to the next level - from moral concerns to language. Language is the most effective tool for mobilizing fellow citizens because of a simple truth: language activates frames.

Every single word activates a frame in the recipient's head. This is true for all languages. For example the word "salt" activates a frame that automatically implies concepts such as food and taste, and even thirst. The reason is that the brain relies on its world experience to give meaning to individual lexemes. Whatever the brain has stored in concrete experience to "salt" it activates to capture the semantics of the word. This even includes simulating taste. [1,p.10]

However the manual does not intended to turn the staff of the public broadcaster into better journalists. This is never mentioned in the entire manual. The entire manual also never writes about the role of the press or the public broadcaster.

Whenever you face such linguistic attacks you must not do one thing: pick up the concepts of the attackers in any form even if negated. Do not say that you find the term "lying press" (Lügenpresse) inappropriate. Do not say that the accusation that ARD is "stirrup of politics" (Steigbügel der Politik) is unjustified. Do not speak of the "so-called" lying press (Lügenpresse) or use quotation marks to rhetorically distance yourself from a concept, such as: "lying press" (Lügenpresse). In each of these cases you propagate the moral attack of your opponents. To negate frames means to activate them. [1,p.16]

The manual primarily gives instructions on how to better defend the fee for the public broadcaster. In addition the manual gives instructions on how to sell the coverage more effectively with moral associations or framing. For this Wehling does not shy away from advising success by repetition. Wehling's instructions are thus alarmingly close to propaganda. [1,p.17]

We do not perceive it and we can not influence it. But it has central implications for your communication: never, never, never use the frame of your opponents, and use those frames that make your moral perspective on the issues clear over and over again - from interview to interview, from Debate on debate, from document to document. Only through the constant repetition of new linguistic patterns over a longer period of time is it possible to cognitively enforce the new frames and thereby make them a realistic perceptual alternative. [1,p.17]

And not least because of such behavior the public broadcaster is regularly criticized. However reforms are presented as illegitimate or inappropriate as the public broadcaster is to be maintained for future generations and the public broadcaster is part of the media infrastructure. This way the public broadcaster becomes an end in itself. [1,p.66ff]

Everything else would neglect our media infrastructure and would thus lead to their decay in the long term.
... [1,p.67]

So do not talk about reform talk about the responsibility to always design the media infrastructure to meet the needs of citizens.
... [1,p.69]

Do not talk about the "tasks" or the "mandate" of the ARD but about the "responsibility" of those who manage the common broadcasting capital and use ARD for the common, free media infrastructure.
... [1,p.69]

In order to portray reforms on the public broadcaster as illegitimate or inappropriate various recommendations are made. Critics of the size of public broadcasting should be portrayed as if these want to take others something away. Thus public broadcasting is presented as without alternative. [1,p.71ff]

Anyone who wants to "downsize" the ARD calls into question the citizens' right to a comprehensive and thorough broadcasting service.
... [1,p.72]

Anyone who wants to "shrink" the ARD is willing to let it happen in favor of commercial broadcasters and at the expense of citizens for a partial media coverage. It is ready to gradually deprive citizens of free access to a complete and all-accommodating broadcasting infrastructure. One is prepared to let quite considerable parts of our German film and German culture which has been organized on the common broadcasting to get out of the way and to make room for profitably accessing our need for information, education and entertainment by international corporations and everything that is cheap to produce and sell at a high price. [1,p.73]

If you want to make your fellow citizens understand the tasks and goals of the ARD and defend them against the orchestrated attacks of opponents then your communication should not come in the form of pure fact arguments but should always be built on moral frames that those facts that you consider to be important are consider urgent and are interpreted them from your point of view - not those of your opponents. [1,p.77]

The press and also the public service broadcasting have the task to enlighten and to check the behaviour of the politics. The press should be neutral but not arrogant. The press should take things without prejudice and not be committed to anything.

Das hab’ ich in meinen fünf Jahren bei der BBC in London gelernt: Distanz halten, sich nicht gemein machen mit einer Sache, auch nicht mit einer guten, nicht in öffentliche Betroffenheit versinken, im Umgang mit Katastrophen cool bleiben, ohne kalt zu sein. Nur so schaffst du es, dass die Zuschauer dir vertrauen, dich zu einem Familienmitglied machen, dich jeden Abend einschalten und dir zuhören. [6]

That I learned during my five years at the BBC in London: Keeping a distance, not to ally with one thing, not even with a good one, not to sink into affliction in public, stay cool in dealing with disasters without being cold. That's the only way you can get viewers to trust you, to make you a family member, so they look at you at every night and listen to you.

This is a way of working that is attributed to the German journalist Hanns Joachim Friedrichs. Whether he is the author and whether Friedrich has always done justice to it is not the topic here. But the idea is essential because what the supposedly good thing is can change. And then something wrong can be done in the name of good. Anyone who has experienced a communist or socialist government or has relatives from that time knows such stories.

SZ: The letterhead of your ARD paper reads: Berkeley International Framing Instititute. Under an institute one imagines something with offices, coworkers, computers and perhaps laboratory. Is that it?

Elisabeth Wehling: It is a brand under which I advise. [8]

Elisabeth Wehling however also applied framing to her own benefit and in her own interest. Wehling has offered their work under the name "Berkeley International Framing Institute". An imprint, an address, contact details or employees are not mentioned. And the Berkeley International Framing Institute has nothing to do with the University of Berkeley. Wehling however sees no problem in this type of procedure. [7] [8] [9]

Elisabeth Wehling: I know there are a lot of crazy theories going on right now. But all my customers know the Berkeley International Framing Institute is my brand under which I offer consultancy. An institute with rooms never existed and that was never suggested - as I said it is a brand.

ZEIT: I spoke to people who asked you for interviews or events. Some thought their institute was located in the US others in Berlin or Hamburg. But everyone thought it was an offshoot of the prestigious University of California.

Elisabeth Wehling: I do not know who you spoke to. But the name can be better classified, if you know the history. I have been studying at the University of Berkeley for twelve years. Two years ago four colleagues and I realized that there is a need in Germany. We wanted to offer workshops on framing science everything was alright the concept, the brand. But then the colleagues had less interest in the German debate than me. So I went on alone. [9]

[1] Öffentlichkeit - Wir veröffentlichen das Framing-Gutachten der ARD 2019-02-17
https://netzpolitik.org/2019/wir-veroeffentlichen-das-framing-gutachten-der-ard/
https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2019/02/framing_gutachten_ard.pdf
[2] Elisabeth Wehling zu Gast bei ORF Zeit Im Raum 2016-03-03
https://youtu.be/xc7gZ_c65HU
[3] Elisabeth Wehling: Politisches Framing - Wie Deutschland sich politische Wahrheiten einredet 2016-03-04
https://youtu.be/r8Radhef5eI
[4] re:publica 2017 – Elisabeth Wehling: Die Macht der Sprachbilder – Politisches Framing 2017-12-07
https://youtu.be/mrFtMGLPosc
[5] re:publica 2017 – Elisabeth Wehling: Die Macht der Sprachbilder – Politisches Framing ... 2017-05-11
https://youtu.be/3tuaXaXJ02g
[6] Cool bleiben, nicht kalt 1995-03-27
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-9176410.html
[7] ARD-"Framing Manual" - Elisabeth Wehling verteidigt sich 2019-02-23
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/ard-framing-manual-elisabeth-wehling-berkely-international-framing-institute-1.4341625
[8] ARD-"Framing Manual" - "Ich habe noch nie einem Kunden vorgeschrieben, was er sagen soll" 2019-02-27
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/elisabeth-wehling-framing-ard-linguistik-sprachwissenschaft-1.4346478
[9] Elisabeth Wehling : "Ich bin schockiert über die Vorwürfe" 2019-02-27
https://www.zeit.de/2019/10/elisabeth-wehling-linguistin-framing-manual-ard-sprache