Full Frame Communications

It is rare to be a born teacher, have so much experience in TV production, as well as research into framing public policy debates. Jane has helped many organizations to thrive the same way that she has helped our…program. When you talk to her, you always learn new things, and that is exactly the magic with which she works. She allows leaders of organizations and initiatives to think freely and to move away from a deficit model, into explaining their value in a strong, proactive and asset-based fashion. She has thought deeply about communication and is thus not only a practitioner, but also a researcher.

In the process of my work with Jane, I have learned the clear distinction between communication as spinning and manipulating public opinion and a long-term agenda of building public support. The typical frame for engendering support in education is the ‘achievement gap’ and in mental health, the risk factors and psychopathologies. Jane’s work is all about reframing this negative view and to try to argue that healthy communities, resiliency and brain development have a stronger draw to create a consensus and a policy agenda than the focus on blame, rejection and partial interests.

As a former reporter myself, and now as a communications and advocacy professional, I learned from Jane a number of valuable and applicable messages and strategies for my daily work. My colleagues and I now view advocacy writing and policy communications through a new lens…these new approaches and message frames have significantly influenced and improved the communications work we do….

We were also impressed with Jane’s ability to connect public policy goals and specifics with messages that would resonate with a diverse set of audiences. I am one who prefers not to work with consultants, but we quickly learned that Jane is so much more than that, among other traits, a creative teacher, effective communicator and incisive strategist.