Rural Reporter’s Notebook: May 21, 2025

What’s it like to cover the renewable energy transition in rural America? Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton spoke with Canary Media’s Kari Lydersen during a live show recording at the Rural Journalism Collective on May 14, 2025. This week, we’re bringing you an edited version of that conversation.Kari has spent extensive time reporting on coal mining communities and the clean energy transition in the Midwest. Her recent work follows individuals who participated in a state-funded clean energy job training program in rural Decatur, Illinois. Kari joins the conversation with Claire and Julia to discuss her reporting process as well as some of the joys and challenges of reporting on energy topics in rural places.Read Kari’s story here.The Rural Journalism Collective is a space for journalists and media professionals who cover rural places to network, share ideas, and uplift excellent work.