Maybe Serwer Needs Another Cup of Joe
CNN reporter flubs statistic on coal, despite correct graphic on-screen

By Ken Shepherd
Business & Media Institute
Jan. 04, 2006

     Saying we mine coal because “we need it desperately for energy in this country,” CNN’s Andy Serwer goofed on a statistic about just how much electricity is generated in the U.S. from coal-fired power plants.      “Ninety percent of our electricity comes from coal,” the Fortune magazine editor and CNN contributor said during a “Minding Your Business” update on the January 4 edition of “American Morning.

     Just a moment later Serwer flashed a graphic onscreen which showed the actual figure. Approximately percent of electricity generated in the United States comes from power plants running on coal. The Web site for the Department of Energy graphic is similar to the one CNN aired.