We've all been told the same story: Frame your message right, and you'll change how people think.
A new study just proved this is mostly wrong.
The German Tabloid Test
Here's what happened: Germany's biggest tabloid got a new editor in 2017. The old guy was pro-refugee. The new guy wasn't.
Overnight, the paper's immigration coverage changed dramatically. Crime stories about immigrants jumped 42%. This wasn't subtle, it was a massive, sustained shift.
If media framing works like we think, readers should have become more anti-immigrant.
They didn't.
The Shocking Result
Researchers tracked 15,000 readers for years. They measured everything: immigration attitudes, crime concerns, political views.
The result? Nothing changed. Zero movement despite the massive messaging shift.
Why Lab Tricks Don't Work in Real Life
Most media experiments look like this:
They force people to watch specific content
They test boring topics people don't care about
They measure effects immediately
They eliminate all competing voices
Real life is messy:
People choose what to consume
They're bombarded with competing messages
They already have strong opinions
Effects need to last longer than five minutes
The Truth
By 2017, German attitudes about immigration had already hardened. The refugee crisis of 2015 forced everyone to pick sides. Minds were made up.
Once opinions crystallize on big issues, they become like concrete. New information bounces off instead of sinking in.
What This Means for Communicators
Stop chasing the perfect message. Your brilliant reframe won't work if people already have strong opinions.
Timing beats everything. You can only influence opinions before they harden, not after.
Authenticity wins. People smell manipulation from miles away. The old tricks don't work anymore.
Think relationship, not message. One post won't change minds. Consistent presence over time might.
The Lesson
Real influence comes from serdtse—from the heart. From showing up consistently with work that matters.
The lab prefers clean experiments. Life prefers messy truth.
Focus less on finding the perfect angle. Focus more on building authentic connections.
Because the most powerful frame is trust.
References: Berk (2025), Druckman & Leeper (2012), Chong & Druckman (2010), Arceneaux & Kolodny (2009), Kinder (2007).
Have you noticed when your audience is most (or least) open to new ideas? Share your experience in the comments.