Selective framing
Presents facts in a way that emphasizes a predetermined conclusion.
Specimen
The unemployment rate fell to a six-year low last month, providing fresh evidence that the administration's economic policies are working .
Fabricated passage — teaching example designed for clarity.
selective framing — one data point presented as confirmation of a predetermined conclusion
Dissection
The unemployment rate fell to a six-year low last month, providing fresh evidence that the administration's economic policies are working.
- causation assumed
- counterevidence omitted
- headline number chosen deliberately
Field notes
- Family
- Framing & omission
- Habitat
- economic reporting, political coverage, policy journalism
- Frequency
- found in 19% of analyzed articles
- Confused with
- Omission , Cherry-picking
In the wild
"With crime at its lowest in a decade, the mayor's approach is clearly delivering results."
City desk, regional daily, March 2026
"The latest figures confirm what supporters have argued all along: the strategy is working."
Political reporting, national broadsheet, February 2026
Why it works
A true fact presented in a skewed frame is more credible than a false one. The reader's fact-checking instinct confirms the datum without questioning the frame around it.
Counter-move
Ask: what else was happening that period? What context was left out?
See it flagged in real articles while you read.
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