This chapter offers an overview of literature focusing on frame projection in international scenarios, its relation to the notions of public and mediated diplomacy and potential for peacebuilding. It starts by introducing framing, public and mediated diplomacy and online information subsidies. Subsidies are a key frame-building strategy that link traditional and contemporary diplomatic practice with media and public opinion in an indirect fashion. The chapter goes on to discuss the potential of mediated public diplomacy and online information subsidies for peacebuilding that extends beyond national interests and image building.

The chapter argues that public diplomacy can be understood as constructivist when countries and organizations strive to use communication to promote a public good, such as peace, by counteracting negative public opinion of peacebuilding efforts and by harnessing international credibility and civil support more broadly. In addition, online information subsidies are seen as a key instrument for the practice of public mediated diplomacy that can potentially contribute to the promotion of peacebuilding transformation.

The notion of framing

Framing is understood in this work as a process of selection and organization of perceived realities to communicate preferred meanings that support political agendas and attempt to foster social consensus among stakeholders and society at large. Scholars have identified frames in mental and cultural frameworks used to interpret realities (Goffman, 1974; Gitlin, 1980; Entman, 1993), messages promoted by individuals and groups in line with such interpretations, meanings located in texts and the media (frame building), and audiences’ frames (or frame setting), based on people's own mental frameworks, values and preferences in the reception of media frames (Entman, 1993; Scheufele, 1999 and 2000; D’Angelo, 2018). They form competing discourses on policy issues constantly updated in the light of new events by individuals, media, public opinion and the broader culture, contributing to ‘the social construction of meaning’ (Gamson and Modigliani, 1989, p 2), social consensus and individual understandings and responses (Scheufele, 1999 and 2000).

In framing, actors select, highlight and make connections between aspects of perceived realities to promote their preferred interpretations and advance their own agendas (Entman, 1993, 2003, 2004). The resulting frame is ‘a central organizing idea for making sense of relevant events and suggesting what is at issue’ (Gamson, 1989, p 157).