How do framing and priming influence audience perception?

Framing and priming are two significant concepts in communication that profoundly impact how an audience perceives information. Framing refers to the way information is presented, focusing attention on certain aspects while downplaying others. This selective emphasis can shape the audience's understanding and response to the message. For example, a news story about a protest might frame the event as a 'grassroots movement' or a 'violent disturbance,' leading audiences to interpret the situation in dramatically different ways depending on the framing.

Priming, on the other hand, prepares the audience to think about a topic or issue in a certain way by using certain cues or concepts beforehand. It influences the audience's subsequent evaluations and judgments by making certain information more accessible in their minds. For instance, if a political figure is consistently presented alongside discussions of corruption, the audience may be 'primed' to view that figure skeptically in future contexts.

When combined, framing can highlight specific aspects of an issue, while priming provides the interpretive lens through which those aspects are viewed. Therefore, the correct answer effectively captures the relationship between these two concepts: framing enhances certain features of a message, and priming shapes how those features are understood and interpreted by the audience. This synergy thus significantly influences audience perception