GLOBAL JOURNALIST: Mine disasters capture the world's attention

Stuart Loory, Lee Hills Chair in Free-Press Studies, Missouri School of Journalism: On either side of the planet in the past two weeks, mine disasters have captured the public’s attention. In China’s Shanxi province, 153 miners were trapped when an underground pit flooded. One hundred and fifteen were rescued but 31 were still trapped hundreds of feet below the earth’s surface as deadly gases continued to build up. In another province, 40 miners were killed in an underground explosion. This past Monday, 25 miners were killed when methane gas overwhelmed them in a coal mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. Four are still missing. They were working for the Massey Energy Company, the biggest mining business in central Appalachia and one with a poor record for violations of safety regulations over the years. Mine safety is a serious problem, and it is growing more so abroad where coal is used to produce energy and to make steel. The Massey Company just signed a contract to ship coal to China for its steel business. What is the Chinese government is doing to improve the mine safety record in that country?