By USDR
“When I told an Arch Coal senior executive that he and other company employees should get on television and radio and broadcast the valuable information they have as loudly as possible, he demurred, saying the company doesn’t get the type of television and radio invitations that organizations such as the National Center receive,” Danhof continued. “This admission highlights two central company failings. First, the company’s public relations efforts are entirely too tepid. Second, the company underestimates the value of the information it has about the value of coal specifically and low-cost energy generally to our economy and to jobs – information the public is interested in hearing without the filter of the mainstream media.”
“A senior executive told me that coal companies are too much of an unsympathetic figure, and the media would be unwilling to listen to its message. I told him that activists such as Al Gore and former Mayor Bloomberg were not going to back down, whether the company fought for itself or not. It must fight,” Danhof said.
“When I confronted the CEO, he put out his arms and asked, ‘what can we do?’ I said, defend yourself from the misinformation, junk science, and lies. For example, set up a website similar to KochFacts.com and every time MSNBC, the New York Times or 60 Minutes runs a junk science report on the coal industry, counter with the truth and send that information out to allies and critics alike. Facts are powerful, but only when people hear them.”
The National Center’s question for Arch Coal, as prepared for delivery, can be found here.
National Center President David Ridenour is an Arch Coal shareholder, and Justin Danhof attended as Ridenour’s representative.
The National Center’s Free Enterprise Project is a leading free-market corporate activist program. In 2013, Free Enterprise Project representatives attended 33 shareholder meetings advancing conservative and free-market principles in the areas of health care, energy, taxes, subsidies, regulations, religious freedom, media bias, gun rights and many more important public policy issues. The National Center has participated in 11 shareholder meetings so far in 2014.
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