Covering/not covering Friday's Waynesburg rally that attracted 5,000 protesters against Alpha Natural Resources
Here is how three area papers covered Friday's scheduled solidarity march against Alpha Natural Resources in Waynesburg, PA. (Please see three posts down for the reason for the march - Alpha wants to break union contract.)
The Washington Observer-Reporter
Placement of story: front page with pictures
Headline: Thousands of miners rally near Waynesburg
Length of story: 800 words
Opening paragraphs:
WAYNESBURG – The line of camouflaged-clad marchers seemed to stretch more than a mile down Route 21 from Greene County Fairgrounds Friday morning.
Holding signs reading “solidarity” and “We are… One,” with United Mine Workers of America in smaller print, about 5,000 union members and supporters walked the 1½ miles from Greene County Airport to the county fairgrounds on a mission to show solidarity.
They came for a rally sponsored by the UMW as the union faces the challenges of dealing with bankrupt Alpha Natural Resources, upcoming national contract negotiations and the push for federal legislation to shore up the union’s pension plan.
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Placement of story: front page with picture
Headline: In Waynesburg, working-class anger bubbles up at miners' rally
Length of story: 942 words
Opening paragraphs:
Carried by an Americana folk chord progression on acoustic guitar, musician Tom Breiding’s message was as poignant as any rallying cry issued from the podium at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Friday.
“Promises made, promises broken,” Mr. Breiding crooned over a D-chord. “Alpha they promised, Alpha they lied,” calling out bankrupt coal company Alpha Natural Resources, the owner of two mines in the county that this week sought to break its contract with workers so it can restructure its finances.
In multiple verses, he named others: Peabody Energy, Patriot Coal, Murray Energy. Clad uniformly in United Mine Workers of America camouflage, more than 5,000 supporters of the Appalachian coal industry whooped and hollered.
The Wheeling Intelligencer/News-Register
no headline, no story, no pictures, nothing
Notes
This post was ready yesterday (Saturday) but I delayed it thinking that the march might be covered in the Sunday News-Register. (Yeah, what was I thinking?)
Here is the AP report that the Intelligencer could have used.
