Charges against coal mining giant whose crimes killed 29 get little national coverage -- why?

Robin L. Barton of The Crime Report wonders out loud why "if someone, say, gunned down 29 people in a mall or blew up 29 people in an act of terrorism, there would be tons of press surrounding both the crime itself and the progress of the resulting criminal charges ... but corporate crimes, even the ones involving the deaths of workers, don't seem to be treated like 'real' crimes." She's talking about the crime of allowing illegal and hazardous conditions to persist in violation of federal minimal safety standards at the Upper Big Branch mine. The coal mine, owned by Massey Energy, exploded on April 5, 2010, causing the deaths of 29 miners. Barton points to criminal conspiracy charges against a mine supervisor to hide fraudulent record books from federal investigators looking into the disaster. The resulting behavior was deemed so heinous that it resulted a record $209 million in fines and compensation to the families of the dead and injured.

Continuing investigations and more criminal charges are possible. And, yet, marvels the former Manhattan district attorney, every step along the way -- every indictment, every trial, every twist and turn -- the local media like The Charleston Gazette has followed but the nation's biggest mouthpieces have not. She compares this to the coverage given the killing of Trayvon Martin, and wonders where the outrage for the 29 dead in West Virginia is.

Barton writes: "Given the current climate of anger and resentment toward Wall Street and big business, you’d think the public would rally against an employer believed to have wantonly endangered its workforce to benefit the bottom line." She fears corporate safety crime, is not "sexy enough." Or journalists are too overworked. Still, "maybe the public would have protested -- if they were more aware of Massey’s conduct."