Manipulating Media Assignment 2

3. • 'Hayley Cropper's Coronation Street suicide shows how soaps
can influence the national debate'
• “Helpline episodes"
• ‘She is the highest-profile character to be written out in this
way, and that the subject of chosen or assisted dying is now a
more inflamed debate'
• 'Euthanasia is also unusual as a dramatic narrative in that
there are two distinct and vociferous public positions on the
subject'
• 'The contention over the inclusion in soaps of these medical
or criminal issues is that they are being employed as a
publicity or ratings tactic, or that they may traumatise
younger or more sensitive audience members and/or cause
imitative behaviour '

4. Soap operas have gained the ability to address national
debates. This gives them the ability to address sensitive
social and cultural issues that are currently popular
talking points or have been in the past. Due to the
extreme sensitiveness of the plot the soap operas offer
'helplines' for support and to absorb debating audiences.
The biggest concerns of addressing these sensitive
situations are the ability to distress audience and the
exploitation of serious and tragic situations. The Hayley
Cropper case has received positive responses on the
matter, it's demonstrated that the plot was developed in
a tasteful manor that tries to avoid exploiting suicide;
although debates on the matter have emerged even
stronger since the episode..

6. • EastEnders complaints over controversial baby swap
storyline reach 6,000 as Samantha Womack quits.
• Broadcasting standards body Ofcom have also received
374 viewer complaints about the storyline to date.
• Thousands of viewers complained about the plot, which
many deemed 'exploitative', 'unrealistic' and 'hurtful'
while others felt programme-makers were being
sensationalist to drum up ratings rather than genuinely
raise awareness of cot death.
• 'We also provided action line numbers at the end of the
show.'
• Viewing figures have actually gone up, increasing from
10.4million on Monday night to 11.1million on
Wednesday.

7. Addressing sensitive situations in soap operas doesn't
always receive positive responses, as with the 'Cot death' in
EastEnders. This instant demonstrates how a soap opera
can exploit a sensitive story line so much it will cause a
catastrophic response, as seen by the thousands of
complaints to the BBC and even more pressing the 374
complaints to Ofcom. The lack of care and sensitiveness
produced in this plot shows how sensitive situations have
no limits; EastEnders kept pushing the boundaries of
acceptable content from a cot death, to baby swapping.
Contrasting the previous example assumptions can be
made. If the sensitive situation is handled in a tasteful and
nurturing way, can soaps approach any situations without
any restraints? Or will soap opera's capitalise on how
exploiting and dramatizing situation creates a larger
audiences.