A content analysis of alcohol portrayal and drinking in British television soap operas

Abstract

This study examined the portrayal of alcohol consumption in a sample of six soap operas on British television. In all, 86% contained visual or verbal references to alcoholic beverages with an average of one reference in every 3.5 min of programming. Over all of the 25 programmes monitored, more alcohol was consumed than soft drinks, at a ratio of 2.1:1, and there were hardly any references to the hazards of alcohol consumption. In contrast to previous similar studies, alcohol was found to be most prominently featured in Emmerdale Farm and hardly ever appeared in Home and Away. Also, four of the major soaps regularly showed specific brands of alcohol, in particular Eastenders. Finally, despite the observations in previous studies by others that the presentation of alcohol on television is decreasing, in comparison to three studies done in the last 10 years, alcohol portrayal appeared to be, if anything, on the increase, although problems associated with these comparisons render the results in need of replication. The quality of data yielded in many of these analyses, along with poor base-rate data, make it difficult to establish the evidence of reliable trends, though preliminary analyses were done comparing two earlier studies with data obtained in this one. However, recommendations for further studies have been made.