Case 1
For the better part of his life, Reuben Robinson, 22, of Camden received little professional health care. When he was a child, Robinson’s family was uninsured, so they typically were treated at hospital emergency rooms when illnesses became serious. “When I got scarlet fever in the fifth grade, I had to go to the hospital, and again when I got a really bad flu when I was 19,” Robinson said.
Health-care coverage continued to be a problem when Robinson, who is black, went to work. Until February, Robinson, who is married and the father of a 1-year-old son, Gabriel, was a sales floor supervisor for an office supply store in Cherry Hill. Robinson put in about 35 hours a week, but he and his family weren’t eligible for company health benefits…
Fortunately, Robinson’s wife, Shante, learned they were eligible for New Jersey FamilyCare, a managed-care program for low-income families. “If it wasn’t for her, I’d still be without insurance, which is the only reason I didn’t go and get a checkup,” Robinson said.
Does this news story use more episodic framing, or thematic framing?
Why is this an example of that type of framing? What characteristics of that type of framing do you see in this example? Be specific!
What do you predict the frame effect of this story would be for those who read it? What are readers more likely to think about health care based on this example?
Case 2
A new report outlining a blueprint for fixing New Hampshire’s health care system was released today by the Endowment for Health’s “Pillars Project,” a group of citizens and experts who have studied the issue since last year. According to “Stepping Up to the Future – a Healthier Health Care System for New Hampshire,” it will take a sustained long-term commitment from health care providers, business and community leaders, and government officials to face the critical challenges facing New Hampshire’s current health care system. “We can make a difference and protect the future health of our health care system,” said Dr. Jim Squires, President of the Endowment for Health. “Doing so will require much effort, sacrifice, compromise and among all stakeholders, a willingness to change. To do any less, to fail to seize the opportunity to address the common good for each and every one of us, is simply not an option.”
At the heart of the 20-page report is a blueprint for changing a health care system struggling with declining health insurance coverage; rapidly increasing expenses; rapid growth in insurance premiums; inadequate payments from public programs; strain on the health care safety net; and concerns about the quality of health care. “As citizens of New Hampshire, we have an obligation to ourselves, our families and our neighbors to ensure the stability of our health care system,” said fellow Project member George Long, Vice President of Administration at Unitil Corporation. “The recommendations presented in our Report are not quick fixes, but important steps on the road to a healthier health care system.
Does this news story use more episodic framing, or thematic framing?
Why is this an example of that type of framing? What characteristics of that type of framing do you see in this example? Be specific!
What do you predict the frame effect of this story would be for those who read it? What are readers more likely to think about health care based on this example?