According to Finlay Donesky, Appalachian writers have been working for several decades to discredit the stereotype that Appalachians are backwards, ignorant, and illiterate. In doing so, they work for the interests of the Appalachian people to discredit false stereotypes. However, this does not work for the media operating outside of Appalachia. The media outside Appalachia sees opportunity in the stereotypes. They see an opportunity to make money and receive good ratings by garnering the curiosity of a wide audience through a sensationalized image of Appalachia. The pop culture plays on the plight of Appalachians in order to make a story that will sell. In doing so, the media perpetuates the idea that Appalachia has a culture of poverty and that they are different than “us”, the outsiders. This has been so ingrained in pop culture because since 1873 in “A Strange Land and Peculiar People”, Appalachia has been stereotyped. So, for any genuine work to challenge this, it has to challenge the historical pop culture on Appalachia all the way to modern day and it is vastly outnumbered. But, showing a genuine image of Appalachia can show an audience just how much Appalachia has contributed to American society as a whole and is indeed not backwards.