WYSO is partnering with Stats and Stories, a podcast produced at Miami University.
Coal mining is back breaking, dangerous labor. Accidents in mines can lead to disability or even death. But even when a worker walks away from the mine, they may not walk away from the health problems associated with mining. In the 1990’s, miners sued Britain's national coal board, after research indicated a link between lung disease and coal dust exposure. That Landmark lawsuit and the data supporting it is the focus of this episode of Stats and Stories. Host Rosemary Pennington and regular panelists John Bailer, Chair of Miami statistics department and Richard Campbell, Media, Journalism and Film, are joined by guest Jonny Jacobsen. Jacobsen is an editor with international news wire A.F.P. and a data journalist who has covered everything from Scientology to homelessness. Jacobson is also the author of an article in Significance magazine titled, “Defending the Data”, examining the battle between miners and the coal board over the data that linked coal dust to lung disease.
Stats and Stories is a partnership between Miami University's Departments of Statistics and Media, Journalism and Film and the American Statistical Association. You can follow us on Twitter or iTunes. If you'd like to share your thoughts on our program, send your e-mail to statsandstories@miamioh.edu and be sure to listen for future editions of Stats and Stories where we discuss the statistics behind the stories and the stories behind the statistics.