Framing of Messages in Media (Singapore)

Before the start of this section, I would like to ask,

If I were to ask you to give an impression of bees, what would it be?

Upon asking around, some of the answers that I have gotten were “it stings, scary, gross, dangerous, it kills people, one of the worst insect alive.”

 

“Framing” effects of messages refer to the cognitive bias, in which the way an information is presented influences how people feel about the information and thus, affecting the judgments and the decisions that people make.

In Singapore, incidents and dramatic events are frequently reported extensively through the media and often; these events are framed in such a way that misleads people to develop inappropriate reactions to these incidents. For example, the proportions of the types of causes of death reported in newspapers do not reflect the actual frequencies in reality. However, these dramatic deaths are overly reported, causing people to worry about it.

Bee attack incidents are often extensively reported in Singapore. It is no doubt that bees can cause danger and harm to humans, however, in year 2013, the mortality rate of bee stings accidents in Singapore is only one, in which a pest controller died after getting stung by the bees. However, it is clearly evident that people’s perception and responses to bees are often exaggerated, without knowing that bees do not usually attack humans unless they are under threat or perceive danger.

In addition, the media often framed the bee attacks and nesting of their hives on buildings to be disturbing and intentional. However, this is not the case as bees attack only when provoked and these incidents has happened due to heavy rains causing damage to the bees’ hives and forcing them to relocate. In addition, the limited green land that Singapore has forces the bees to move and adapt to urban environments in which it is solely for survivor purpose and not intentional. I guess in a way, it is us that are intruding into their homeland.

In addition, having limited knowledge on wildlife also cause people to often mistaken honey bees with hornet and wasps, thus frequently associating the aggressive attacks of hornet and wasps as honey bees which are generally gentle and docile unless under threat.

Differences between a honey bee, bumble bee, hornet and wasp. Source from APEX pest busters PTE LTD.

Differences between a honey bee, bumble bee, hornet and wasp. Source from APEX pest busters PTE LTD.

Therefore, the framing of messages that is reported extensively through the media have influenced the impression that people has developed of honey bees. Therefore, this resulted in the negative or neutral attitudes of people towards honey bees as in viewing them as pests and nuisance and focusing on the negative aspects that they have rather than understanding and appreciating the vast amount of benefits that they bring to us and empathising with their plight.