Through personal stories, “True Cost of Coal” explores the mark the coal industry has left on eastern Kentucky communities, and what the next phase of the industry, “coal-to-liquid,” may mean to coalfield communities.
Produced by Willa Johnson, Nikki King, and Brittany Hunsaker.
AMI, Summer 2007. Runtime: 13 minutes and 22 seconds.
Aired November 2006
AMI Producer Autumn Campbell’s audio commentary on the issues facing rural voters was featured on NPR’s Day to Day during the 2006 election season.
Here’s an excerpt from her commentary:
“This is my first time voting and I’ll be doing it as a swing voter, whatever that means. People like me in rural parts of the country are supposed to make a big difference. So maybe politicians running for Congress will pay more attention to eastern Kentucky this year.
So, until I registered to vote, I always thought local officials took care of everything. I never thought once about who represented me in Congress, or in state government. It seemed to me, Letcher County, like many rural places, was invisible to these higher elected officials. The only time this part of the country gets attention is when we have devastating mine disasters.”
LISTEN to Autumn’s piece at NPRRead a transcript and see more photos at Youth Radio
2006
6 minutes
Produced by: Cody Bryant, Tabitha Johnson, Brittany Lamb, Samantha Collier, and Jordan Frazier.
Summer, 2003. “Old Ways…” explores the dynamic between an ever-increasing reliance of consumer culture, and the long-standing traditions of Appalachian self-sufficiency.
Produced by Chris Archer and Mary Profit.
