Covering the conference -- the Intelligencer and the Associated Press saw it differently

Casey Junkins, local reporter and energy propagandist, covered the conference for the local "newspapers." Jonathan Matisse, who reports on West Virginia for the Associated Press, wrote the AP story.

Headlines

Intelligencer:

McKinley, Manchin, Moniz Discuss Energy Innovation

Associated Press:

Energy secretary: Administration working hard for coal power

What a surprise, the Intelligencer doesn't want to admit that the Obama administration is doing anything for coal.

Opening sentence

Intelligencer:

About 80 percent of America’s coal-fired electricity generation takes place in units that are at least 30 years old, so officials believe the only way coal will remain a viable source of power is through innovative technologies to comply with environmental standards.

AP:

President Barack Obama’s energy secretary said Monday that the administration isn’t waging a “war on coal” and is working to maintain coal as an important part of a low-carbon energy future.

How could the AP possibly print this? Don't they know that Obama has a "vendetta" against coal?

Number of times David McKinley is mentioned

Intelligencer: 6 times including three direct quotes.

AP: once, in the following sentence:

The energy secretary also toured Longview Power's coal-fired plant Monday with Manchin and Republican U.S. Rep. David McKinley, who invited Moniz to the Mountain State.

Apparently the AP didn't realize that David McKinley's presence is always the story.

Conference provides excuse for Senator Capito to pen an opinion piece

The front page was not the only place to find coverage of the conference. The Intelligencer also printed an op-ed piece by Senator Capito. The senator references the conference and the secretary's tour of Longview Power a couple of times as though she was actually a part of the conference and tour. Capito tells us, for instance, what the secretary learned:

Secretary Moniz learned about Longview Power in Maidsville, the newest, cleanest and most efficient coal-fired power plant in the country.

I'm not sure how she knows what the secretary learned and given the Intellingencer's very early publication submission deadline, the hard-working senator must have been up very late working on the piece in order to get it in on time. You can also find her op-ed piece here on her website under press releases.