Storytellers and Advocates: Community Journalism as a Challenge to Mainstream Media Stereotypes in Appalachia

This study examines perceived effects of regional stereotypes in mainstream news and entertainment media. It argues that community news outlets can work in concert to create a counternarrative to dominant news and popular culture images of the region. Appalachians have historically been “Othered” by entertainment and news media in the U.S. in ways that have tangible impacts on local residents and communities. This study explores those impacts in the lives of individuals in three Appalachian communities through interviews with 51 residents. Anecdotes about the personal, social, and economic effects of Appalachian stereotypes serve as the backdrop for a larger discussion of dominant representations and ways communities may attempt to counter them. Almost all of the residents I interviewed said they found media stereotypes of Appalachia personally insulting. However, there was far less agreement about whether those stereotypes were socially harmful. While some residents remarked on the ways images can limit opportunities for individuals and communities in the region, many suggested that stereotypes were inconsequential or acceptable because they were grounded in at least a little reality. If they are empowered with the opportunity and the platform, this study argues, residents can develop a counternarrative to that dominant ideal and express their own understandings of Appalachia. The study argues that local newspapers and news websites can create the foundation for such a platform. The study advocates for a coalition of local newspapers, universities, and nonprofit organizations to challenge stereotypes by aggregating content, showing the diversity of Appalachian stories and experiences