All forms of media represent issues. However, I have decided to set my focus on the way the issue of knife crime is represented in soap operas and newspapers.
Recently EastEnders led a storyline in which two teenage boys were stabbed by a gang member and one of the victims died due to his fatal injury. The episodes were dramatic and the acting was overly exaggerated- typical of a soap opera. EastEnders used this opportunity to shed light on this issue and even had an episode where family members of real victims appeared as part of the funeral scenes and told their stories. Although it was used to spread awareness, it was mainly used to entertain.
Moreover, the storyline continued for a number of weeks, showing the aftermath of the stabbing and how the situation had impacted different people- victim's family, attacker's family, friends ect.
However, newspapers portray the issue of knife crime and stabbing very differently. Newspapers such as, 'The Guardian' address these situations very factually, as their main aim is to inform and not entertain. Facts and statistics are used to back up the articles to make them more legitimate. For example, a recent newspaper article stated that, 'There were 1299 stabbings in London up to the end of April'.
Despite this, newspaper articles can appear exaggerated in their headlines, which are used to shock and catch the viewer's attention. The newspaper shown below has a bold headline, '11 Londoners stabbed to death in 16 days... WHY?' which intrigues the reader and makes them want to know what happened.
Unlike soap operas, newspapers often only show one view of the story and cannot allow the audience to hear different sides in the way EastEnders was able to do. This is due to the nature of news articles, because they tell the facts and not the emotions of those affected.
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