| Popis: |
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 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. |
