Facts Over Framing
Separate the documented event from the language used to sell it.
- Ask: What does the original source actually establish?
top of page
Truth vs Narrative
THE TVN FRAMEWORK
Look past the headline. Follow the evidence.
Six principles for separating documented facts from persuasive framing.
Ask better questions, examine the process, and test what the evidence supports.
SIX PRINCIPLES
Six Principles. One Method.
Choose a principle below. Start with its question, then open the linked article or topic collection to see the method in practice.
Apply the same standard to claims you agree with. Keep the unanswered questions visible.
Behavior Over Statements
Compare public promises with actions, resources, and results.
- Ask: What changed beyond the announcement?
Process Before Outrage
Check the rules, timeline, and decision before judging the outcome.
- Ask: What happened, and which step comes next?
Category Discipline
Keep definitions, populations, and time periods consistent.
- Ask: Are these numbers measuring the same thing?
Structure Over Slogans
Look at the systems and constraints that shape the outcome.
- Ask: What can this system realistically deliver?
Incentive Mapping
Identify who has power, what limits it, and what rewards their choices.
- Ask: Who benefits, and where can pressure change behavior?
PUT THE METHOD TO WORK
Read a Court Story Beyond the Headline
Use the framework to identify the document, the decision and what remains unresolved.
Read the court-story guide →
RELATED ARTICLES
Put the method into practice
Anderson v. Intel: What the Supreme Court Is Deciding About ERISA Benchmarks
The case asks what ERISA underperformance claims must plead.
Read the article →Suncor v. Boulder County: What the Supreme Court Is Actually Deciding
Follow the questions before the Court. Oral argument is not a ruling.
Read the article →What an Injunction Does and What It Leaves Undecided
Read who is bound, what changes and what remains undecided.
Read the article →THE METHOD IN PRACTICE
Documents, measurements, and legal proceedings.
Use the original record to establish a claim, measurements to test its scale, and court records to understand its legal effect.
Receipt Files
Original documents and source evidence.
Explore Receipt Files →Data Files
Measurements, methodology and revisions.
Explore Data Files →Case Files
Court proceedings, operative orders and unresolved legal questions.
Explore Case Files →CONTINUE EXPLORING
Keep following the evidence
Narrative Mechanics
Recognize how framing shapes a story.
Recognize the patterns →
Editorial Standards
See how TVN evaluates and corrects the record.
Read the standards →
BUILD YOUR READING TOOLKIT
Related Articles
Three essential reads to help you examine claims, check sources, and follow the evidence.
PUT THE METHOD TO WORK
Read a Court Story Beyond the Headline
Use the framework to identify the document, the decision and what remains unresolved.
For more on framing: Narrative Mechanics
Beyond the headline.
One story. The receipts. The missing context. What to watch next. Get TVN articles and updates in your inbox.
bottom of page