Jeff Goodell speaks about energy and covering the coal industry

Jeff Goodell talks with fellows at Covering the Green Economy

Jeff Goodell, contributing editor at Rolling Stone, contributer to the New York Times Magazine, and author, has covered the coal and energy industries for nearly a decade. Goodell talked to journalists about the challenges and importance of telling the energy stories, in addition to his book, “Our Story: 77 Hours That Tested Our Friendship and Our Faith,” the story of the Pennsylvania coal miners who were trapped underground in July 2002.

Goodell said he began covering the coal industry when an editor suggested he do some research in response to the Bush administration’s proposed energy bill in 2001. One of his biggest allies was, ironically, his ignorance about coal in general.

“I went in completely blind. I’d never seen a piece of coal in my entire life,” Goodell said. “I knew nothing, nothing, nothing.”

This lack of information allowed him to ask the simple questions, Goodell said, and let him look at the industry from a completely new perspective.

Goodell advised journalists to be strait referees and make the tough judgement calls to sort through the PR “weapons of mass pursuasion” that are throw during the battle between fossil fuels and clean energy.

Writing about clean energy is different from any reporting we’ve done, Goodell said, and will require dedicated reporters who tell the stories in a new way.

Goodell gave a few tips for reporters who are tackling this large issue:

• Ask the simple questions. What happens when you turn on a light switch? Think about the story from the perspective of someone who knows nothing
• Don’t underestimate the fossil fuel industry. These companies have the potential to be very pursuasive and industry changing
• Tell more than the ”balanced” party-one-said-this, party-two-said-that-story. As a journalist, you need to make the call and tell it like it is.
• Take advantage of incidents when you have the public’s attention. When the Pennsylvania miners were trapped underground or during our current oil spill crisis, people look for information. Tell them the stories you have been covering for years.
• The money in these industries is under reported right now. Follow the financial information
• Use local ties, such as population growth, to talk about the environmental issues facing your area