Telling Us What We Already Know: A Case Study Analysis of Poverty Coverage in Rural Appalachian Community News Outlets A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Michel Clay Carey August 2014 © 2014 Michael Clay Carey. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Telling Us What We Already Know: A Case Study Analysis of Poverty Coverage in Rural Appalachian Community News Outlets by MICHAEL CLAY CAREY has been approved for the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Scripps College of Communication by Aimee Edmondson Associate Professor of Journalism Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT CAREY, MICHAEL CLAY, Ph.D., August 2014, Mass Communication-Journalism Telling Us What We Already Know: A Case Study Analysis of Poverty Coverage in Rural Appalachian Community News Outlets Director of Dissertation: Aimee Edmondson This dissertation examines the roles local news organizations in three rural Appalachian communities play in the facilitation of discussions about local poverty. The study is grounded in Stuart Hall’s theoretical understanding of the encoding and decoding of media messages (1980), which offers insight on the way social practices influence the production and interpretation of news. Through three separate case studies using qualitative research methods (textual analysis and in-depth interviews), the study describes the dominant media frames local journalists used to describe poverty. Interviews with 11 current and former journalists describe the social and professional habits and philosophies that shape their coverage. Interviews with 40 local residents offer insight into how those messages are interpreted. The study suggests that media coverage in the three communities largely reinforces an understanding of poverty as a byproduct of Appalachian culture, a view that places responsibility on the poor themselves and often dismisses social inequalities that contribute to poverty. Coverage of poverty was largely absent from local news coverage in the three communities studied. When stories about poverty did appear, they often focused not on the poor themselves, but rather on community efforts to assist them. Journalists said coverage of poverty was largely influenced by journalistic norms, business limitations, concerns about exposing the poor to social ridicule, and a desire to iii portray their communities in positive lights. This dissertation suggests residents decoded the absence of poverty coverage as evidence that poverty was a normal aspect of life, something they had the power neither to fix nor to discuss. Interview participants experienced similar feelings of powerlessness to counter dominant media images of Appalachia, which, residents said, were largely negative. Such coverage, it is argued, could empower low-income residents and encourage dialog that could contribute to change in local communities. The study makes several recommendations that could address those feelings of powerlessness, including the incorporation of alternative views and an emphasis on proactive coverage of poverty and need. This research also suggests that local news organizations partner with universities and nonprofit groups in the region to aggregate and publish stories that reflect the diversity of the region. iv DEDICATION For my family, and for small towns. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I could not have completed this process without the patience, love, and sacrifices of my wife Lisa and my sons Michael and Jace. The three of you continue to be a constant source of strength and inspiration for me, and I feel blessed to have you in my life. I am grateful to the faculty and my fellow graduate students at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, who create an extraordinary environment for young journalists and aspiring scholars to grow. I especially wish to recognize my dissertation adviser, Dr. Aimee Edmondson, whose guidance and advice about research and academic life have been invaluable; Prof. Bill Reader, an outstanding mentor who has shaped my writing and research more than he knows; Dr. Karen Riggs, who continues to help me find my way as a cultural scholar; and Dr. Steve Scanlan, who helped me understand the issue of poverty and the history of Appalachia in new and important ways. I also wish to thank Dr. Jatin Srivastava in the school of journalism and Dr. Cynthia Anderson in Ohio University’s sociology department, whose instruction and guidance gave shape to this dissertation in its earliest stages. Finally, I express my sincerest gratitude to the men and women in Greenburg, Priorsville, and Deer Creek who took the time to participate in this project. The people who appear on these pages, and many more who do not, help me discuss issues that are important not only in Appalachia, but also in communities around the world. They were frank, kind, open, and honest during my time with them, and I feel privileged to have met all of them. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Media and the Creation of Community ........................................................... 12 Defining Community .................................................................................................... 12 The Role of Media in Community Formation and Maintenance .................................. 15 Defining Poverty and Identifying Its Causes ................................................................ 23 Income and Social Class ........................................................................................... 28 Culture and the Social Processes of Encoding and Decoding Messages ...................... 30 Encoding and the Outside Pressures on Community Journalists .............................. 32 Structure and Agency in the Decoding of Media Messages ..................................... 35 Chapter 3: Poverty and Appalachia in Context ................................................................. 42 A Land of Outsiders ...................................................................................................... 45 A Land of Opportunity (for Some) ........................................................................... 48 The 1960s—A Time of Renewed Interest ................................................................ 51 The Regional “Othering” of Hillbillies and Mountain Folk ......................................... 54 Perceptions of Poverty and their Impacts on Appalachian Community ................... 64 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 4: Design ............................................................................................................. 69 Rationale for a Multiple Case Study Design ................................................................ 71 Design Overview .......................................................................................................... 74 Methods for Data Collection and Analysis ............................................................... 76 My Position within this Work ....................................................................................... 81 Chapter 5: Local Stories .................................................................................................... 86 Case 1: Greenburg ........................................................................................................ 87 The Greenburg Star and GreenburgToday.com ........................................................ 93 Case 2: Priorsville ......................................................................................................... 96 vii The Priorsville Record and the Priorsville Post-Examiner ..................................... 101 Case 3: Deer Creek ..................................................................................................... 105 The Deer Creek Chronicle and the Deer Creek Advocate ...................................... 109 Chapter 6: Dominant Frames in Local Poverty Coverage .............................................. 114 Greenburg: “We’re Moving Forward” ....................................................................... 119 Priorsville: Discouraging Numbers, Optimistic Stories ............................................. 128 Deer Creek: “Folks Who Shine” ................................................................................. 138 Agency and the Framing of Local Poverty ................................................................. 146 Chapter 7: Pressures, Philosophies, and the Encoding of Media Messages ................... 150 Greenburg: Servants and Advocates ........................................................................... 154 What Makes Poverty Newsworthy in Greenburg? ................................................