Covering gas prices and energy can be especially challenging during a presidential election year. Journalists must relay the candidates’ stances on the energy debate, and also clarify their rhetoric and fact check their statements.
In a live chat, Columbia Journalism Review’s Curtis Brainard and the Associated Press’ Seth Borenstein and Jack Gillum offered tips for strengthening your reporting on the gas-prices and energy debate. Borenstein and Gillum have been covering the debate, and Brainard has written about the coverage.
Here are the main topics we addressed in the chat:
- Common Democratic and Republican claims about energy policy.
- The lack of context surrounding dueling quotes in campaign coverage.
- Online resources for data/information about gas prices, oil & gas production, fuel efficiency.
- Who to turn to if you’re looking for an expert’s opinion.
- How the debate is tied to the Gulf oil spill, hydraulic fracturing, renewable energy and foreign policy and events in Middle East, South American & Africa.
You can replay the chat here:
