By Judith Friedlander and Tania Leimbach.
2. Tania Leimbach (biography)
How can researchers cut through ‘the infoglut’ to share their findings with communities? What communication strategies help raise the agenda of critical issues to drive impactful advocacy and action?
As researchers and practitioners, we want to better understand how to effectively frame critical issues in a hybrid media system, facilitate media uptake and engage the public in scalable change-making. To this end, we developed the MAVEN communication framework, which consists of:
- Meta-frames (developing overarching concepts);
- Actions and Applications (supporting local pilots and scalability);
- Values (identifying shared community values and news values);
- Evidence and Ethos (messaging from reputable stakeholders), and
- News media (disseminating information within a hybrid media system).
The framework is illustrated in the figure below.
Here we describe each aspect of the framework in more detail:
M for Meta-Frames:
A ‘meta-frame’ or umbrella frame is a useful starting point to convey layered meanings in a communication strategy. An engaging title with symbolic connotations as well as linguistic qualities, such as rhyming and alliteration, can encourage collaborative organisations to connect with a broader cause that relates to their specific interests.
As a hypothetical example: ‘Tragic plastics’ simultaneously targets those interested in firstly, animal welfare issues such as the impacts of plastic waste on ocean animals; secondly, human health concerns relating to the ingestion of microplastics; and thirdly, the visual impact of plastic waste in urban areas and waterways.
A for Action and Application:
Practical actions offer ways to connect to a cause and can provide individuals and communities with a ‘proof of concept’, a demonstration of advocacy in action and networking opportunities within a supportive community. A scaffold or structure to support participants to join a larger initiative offers scalability with positive actions counteracting challenging information.
In respect to a hypothetical ‘Tragic plastics’ campaign, organisers could offer participants monthly collaborative opportunities to collect plastic garbage in their local streets with representatives of public health, animal welfare and other associated local issues behind the campaign.
V for Values:
Media interest and coverage of stories, as well as resonance with audiences, comes from integrating two sets of values:
- intrinsic or shared basic values, such as universalism, benevolence and security, are very useful when communicating complex societal and environmental problems (and their potential solutions to audiences). Shalom Schwartz, who developed the Common Cause values framework, outlines the significance of values in his i2Insights contribution Understanding values: Schwartz theory of basic values.
- the six established news values are also significant concepts for communicators: significance or impact; proximity; conflict; human interest; prominence; and novelty.
To illustrate news values, a hypothetical anti-plastics campaign could refer to the impact of microplastics on human and animal health and fertility (significance); efforts of environmentalists to thwart plastic use in supermarkets, which are supported by powerful businesses (conflict); a new organic human-made alternative to fossil-fuel based plastics (human interest); a well-known individual who has ‘given up’ plastic (prominence); and an unusual art project made from plastic waste (novelty). Invoking the conflict news value can result in contestations and critiques from those with vested interests. The advocate needs to be prepared for push backs if using this news value in the campaigning arsenal.
E for Evidence and Ethos:
Evidence and ethos are important concepts to incorporate into communication strategies. Featuring reputable institutions and experts as well as the evidence or information they convey helps a story achieve coverage. With media reporting of an issue conducive to agenda setting and potential engagement in communities, incorporating support of authorities and scientific evidence is paramount.
In our hypothetical ‘Tragic plastics’ campaign, it would be beneficial to feature highly regarded medical experts and research on impacts of microplastic ingestion on human health in the campaign.
N for News Media:
News media are important in setting the agenda for a range of issues. While today’s media landscape is heavily fragmented, and social media and digital networks are influential and encourage echo chambers, traditional news media still influence priorities and perceptions of issues and overarching attributes that are discussed. Other media, such as social and community, will often respond to key issues reported in more established or reputable publications and influence second-level agenda-setting. Advocates are well served by targeting news media for initial coverage as this will help a flow-on to coverage in other media.
Conclusion
The MAVEN communication framework integrates and re-constitutes elements of pre-existing communication theories that are applicable to contemporary communication challenges on critical issues. MAVEN was developed through action research, which assessed the impact of environmental communication and advocacy in real-world contexts. Although we have primarily conceived of, and used, the framework in advocating for environmental issues, we believe it is more widely applicable.
What do you think? Does the MAVEN communication framework resonate with your experience? Are there advocacy issues you’re working on that might be supported by the MAVEN communication framework?
To find out more:
Friedlander, J. and Leimbach, T. (2025). Raising the agenda of environmental issues within a complex hybrid media landscape: A communications framework for fostering public engagement. Australian Journalism Review, 47, 1: 55 – 76 (Online) (DOI): http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajr_00174_1
This i2Insights contribution is taken, often verbatim, from this paper, which also provides the theoretical background to the framework and examples of its use.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement: Artificial intelligence was not used in the development of this i2Insights contribution or the work on which the contribution is based. (For i2Insights policy on artificial intelligence please see https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-authors/#artificial-intelligence.)
Biography: Judith Friedlander PhD is an academic, journalist and environmental advocate. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the not-for-profit organisation, PlantingSeeds Projects, whose award-winning B&B Highway program has been implemented in over 250 locations across Australia. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia. Her expertise includes facilitation, stakeholder engagement, environmental education, and biodiversity initiatives focusing on urban regeneration.
Biography: Tania Leimbach PhD bridges research, teaching and practice in environmental studies. She is a member of the Environment & Society Group, and Program Convenor of the Master of Environmental Management (MEM) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. She is an education-focused academic supporting both students and educators to engage effectively with climate and environmental challenges through inclusive, action-oriented, transdisciplinary pedagogy.