Existing Media Texts - Storylines

Soap Operas are renowned for raising awareness about controversial social and personal issues. They are often incorporate storylines that push the boundaries of what is considered sociably acceptable in order for people to understand and become aware of the issues that surround everyday life. Raising awareness via this mediation means a large, versatile audience is reached and it also offers the audience a realistic story meaning they can relate and sympathise with the scenario. 

Eastenders has won various awards and praise for all the different storylines they have featured raising awareness about issues on both a large and small scale. In 1999 a long-running storyline based around Martin Fowler (see image one), a character recently diagnosed with H.I.V was broadcast, also reflected in this storyline was someone struggling with the revelation he was homosexual. Surveys by the National Aids Trust found that a large majority of the teenage population learnt about H.I.V via the soaps controversial storyline. In 2002 character Kat Slater played by Jessie Wallace revealed she had been abused by her uncle and then tried to commit suicide when her uncle returned into her life. Calls to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children increased by 60% due to awareness Eastenders created, it not only raised awareness amongst the audience but gave some children the confidence they need to speak up about cruelty they endured. The charity heavily praised and thanked Eastenders for dealing the storyline in such a sensitive and direct manner, the soap also won a Mental Health Media Award for this certain storyline. The soap was also nominated for the award twice more, winning once, both surrounding storylines featuring Stacey Slater. Although criticized by some at the time Eastenders also helped raise awareness surrounding domestic violence by characters Little-Mo Slater and Trevor Morgan, ending in the retaliation of Little-Mo. A similar storyline was also featured some years later featuring characters Denise Johnson and Owen Turner, both storylines were praised dramatically for the awareness raised and over 3500 calls were made to the helplines mentioned after the episodes. The soap was also thanked by learning disability charity Mencap for their awareness and realistic representation of a reaction to the birth of a child with Down’s Syndrome featuring Billy and Honey Mitchell.

Coronation Street has also raised awareness through many of its characters and storylines. Characters Sarah Platt in her teenage years was the feature of a least three controversial issues, she raised awareness about teenage pregnancy, falling pregnant at 13 in 2000. She later featured in a storyline based around older men and security on the internet as she arranged to meet a boy, later to be discovered as a forty year old man. Furthermore, she almost lost her life and she stole a car with a boyfriend and crashed after joy-riding, although primarily criticized by some critics Coronation Street was commended on each of these storylines for dealing with them in a sensitive way. Going back, in 1977 Coronation Street raised awareness surrounding rape ordeals after character Deirdre was molested – she didn’t tell anyone ending in her standing on top of a bridge, her suicide was disrupted by a passer-by and she realised what she was doing. This storyline was commended in helping women to come forth to the police or a loved one about molesting or rape. Other storyline’s praised by other mediations and charities for raising awareness were the young lesbian relationship between the religious Sophie Webster and Sian Powers (see image two) a current on-going storyline, Clair peacock who, after giving birth, suffered from postnatal depression, this was hyperbolic as at the time she also had a ‘friend’ scheming against her in the want for the family yet and the storylines surrounding John Snape a character who has an affair with pupil Rosie Webster before kid-napping her.

Hollyoaks is a much more modern British soap opera that has only been around since 1995 and features a more glamorous younger cast whilst remaining a realistic in its portrayal of life within a community. Within its short time running this soap has covered and raised awareness about all the following issues and more, either through a central storyline or secondary theme, drug addiction, abortion, suicide, homelessness, financial problems, interracial relationships, racism, religion, bisexuality, homosexuality, child abuse, domestic violence, anorexia/bulimia, self-harm, teenage pregnancy (see image three), SIDS, miscarriage, Gender Identity Disorder.


All three soaps mentioned have significance in raising awareness and have dramatically helped victims of these issues. All have dealt with many more storylines and theme than mentioned and have helped many more people than could be reached by a simple advert. This form of media to raise awareness is so popular because it offers the audience a realistic scenario they can relate too. In turn the audience enjoys watching such storylines to gain understanding these issues, and often as a form of escapism in realising their own lives aren’t quite as bad. Within our soap opera we have thought carefully about the opening storyline and have chosen a controversial storyline, that will also run parallel to many other storylines within our soap as a way of attracting a large audience and raising awareness. Our trailer features a young girl who commits suicide as she is tired of leading two lives and keeping secrets, she is pregnant, her boyfriend is a drug dealer, her friend is adopted and she is the only one who knows, her other friend is dating a dramatically older man, she is failing at school and her parents are strict and only care about ‘keeping up appearances’; by incorporating such a strong storyline which will features many snares and jams to keep the audience interested we aim to raise awareness and attract large viewing figures.