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The Miller Coal Power Plant in Adamsville, Alabama--shown here on April 13, 2021--was the nation's largest single source of CO2 emissions last year. (Photo: Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
News Sites Took Nearly $1 Million From Consultant Pushing Power Companies' Agenda: Report
One climate writer said the new expose, published by NPR and Floodlight, "pulls back the curtain on yet another insidious corporate strategy to erode the core tenets of democracy for profit."
Dec 19, 2022
Alabama Power and Florida Power & Light hired a political consulting firm that paid six news websites in the two states nearly a million dollars as they attacked officials seeking to hold the polluting utilities accountable, an investigation revealed Monday.
"Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients."
NPR's David Folkenflik, along with Mario Ariza and Miranda Green of Floodlight, found that the power companies hired consulting company Matrix LLC, which, along with clients and associated entities, paid six sites--Yellowhammer News, Alabama Political Reporter, Alabama Today, The Capitolist, Florida Politics, and Sunshine State News--at least $900,000 collectively between 2013 and 2020.
According to the report, "Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients. Payments flowed as the utilities in Florida and Alabama fought efforts to incorporate more clean energy in electric grids--a fight they are still waging."
Alabama Power--which operates a coal-fired plant holding the dubious distinction of being the nation's largest single source of CO2 emissions--received "overwhelmingly positive coverage" in the three Alabama sites linked to Matrix during the seven-year period.
Meanwhile, Terry Dunn, a Republican elected in 2010 to the Alabama Public Service Commission said that, after winning his race, he was approached by a fossil fuel industry lobbyist who made him a promise. He could keep his roughly $100,000 per year job on the body that controls energy prices for years to come if he "remained a team player."
Dunn--who ran on a pledge to compel Alabama Power executives to open their financial books and publicly answer questions--demurred, and soon found himself the target of what appeared to be a concerted smear campaign.
One 2013 headline in the right-wing Yellowhammer News claimed that "Democrats embrace" him, while a 2014 column by Alabama Political Reporter editor-in-chief Bill Britt accused Dunn of "using the state's utility rates for political gain."
In 2014, Dunn lost his race for reelection by 19 percentage points. To this day, Alabama has not had a rate hearing on power prices, and Alabama Power remains one of the nation's most profitable utilities, according to NPR.
This is but a sampling of the alarming corruption detailed in the lengthy expose. Reacting to the report, HEATED publisher Emily Atkin said that it "pulls back the curtain on yet another insidious corporate strategy to erode the core tenets of democracy for profit."
"The most evil thing about this tactic is that it is designed to further erode public trust in the press," Atkin tweeted. "These people constantly deride real journalism as fake news while simultaneously funding the creation of actual fake news. They're confusing people into complacency."
"These power companies and their political allies want you to believe all journalism is pay-for-play," she continued. "Don't fall into their trap."
"Oh, and one more thing--If you're a professional journalist, I am BEGGING you to speak out against people and practices described in this story," Atkin added. "A free press relies on self-regulation. Defend our fucking profession."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Alabama Power and Florida Power & Light hired a political consulting firm that paid six news websites in the two states nearly a million dollars as they attacked officials seeking to hold the polluting utilities accountable, an investigation revealed Monday.
"Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients."
NPR's David Folkenflik, along with Mario Ariza and Miranda Green of Floodlight, found that the power companies hired consulting company Matrix LLC, which, along with clients and associated entities, paid six sites--Yellowhammer News, Alabama Political Reporter, Alabama Today, The Capitolist, Florida Politics, and Sunshine State News--at least $900,000 collectively between 2013 and 2020.
According to the report, "Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients. Payments flowed as the utilities in Florida and Alabama fought efforts to incorporate more clean energy in electric grids--a fight they are still waging."
Alabama Power--which operates a coal-fired plant holding the dubious distinction of being the nation's largest single source of CO2 emissions--received "overwhelmingly positive coverage" in the three Alabama sites linked to Matrix during the seven-year period.
Meanwhile, Terry Dunn, a Republican elected in 2010 to the Alabama Public Service Commission said that, after winning his race, he was approached by a fossil fuel industry lobbyist who made him a promise. He could keep his roughly $100,000 per year job on the body that controls energy prices for years to come if he "remained a team player."
Dunn--who ran on a pledge to compel Alabama Power executives to open their financial books and publicly answer questions--demurred, and soon found himself the target of what appeared to be a concerted smear campaign.
One 2013 headline in the right-wing Yellowhammer News claimed that "Democrats embrace" him, while a 2014 column by Alabama Political Reporter editor-in-chief Bill Britt accused Dunn of "using the state's utility rates for political gain."
In 2014, Dunn lost his race for reelection by 19 percentage points. To this day, Alabama has not had a rate hearing on power prices, and Alabama Power remains one of the nation's most profitable utilities, according to NPR.
This is but a sampling of the alarming corruption detailed in the lengthy expose. Reacting to the report, HEATED publisher Emily Atkin said that it "pulls back the curtain on yet another insidious corporate strategy to erode the core tenets of democracy for profit."
"The most evil thing about this tactic is that it is designed to further erode public trust in the press," Atkin tweeted. "These people constantly deride real journalism as fake news while simultaneously funding the creation of actual fake news. They're confusing people into complacency."
"These power companies and their political allies want you to believe all journalism is pay-for-play," she continued. "Don't fall into their trap."
"Oh, and one more thing--If you're a professional journalist, I am BEGGING you to speak out against people and practices described in this story," Atkin added. "A free press relies on self-regulation. Defend our fucking profession."
From Your Site Articles
Alabama Power and Florida Power & Light hired a political consulting firm that paid six news websites in the two states nearly a million dollars as they attacked officials seeking to hold the polluting utilities accountable, an investigation revealed Monday.
"Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients."
NPR's David Folkenflik, along with Mario Ariza and Miranda Green of Floodlight, found that the power companies hired consulting company Matrix LLC, which, along with clients and associated entities, paid six sites--Yellowhammer News, Alabama Political Reporter, Alabama Today, The Capitolist, Florida Politics, and Sunshine State News--at least $900,000 collectively between 2013 and 2020.
According to the report, "Matrix sought to ensure much coverage was secretly driven by the priorities of its clients. Payments flowed as the utilities in Florida and Alabama fought efforts to incorporate more clean energy in electric grids--a fight they are still waging."
Alabama Power--which operates a coal-fired plant holding the dubious distinction of being the nation's largest single source of CO2 emissions--received "overwhelmingly positive coverage" in the three Alabama sites linked to Matrix during the seven-year period.
Meanwhile, Terry Dunn, a Republican elected in 2010 to the Alabama Public Service Commission said that, after winning his race, he was approached by a fossil fuel industry lobbyist who made him a promise. He could keep his roughly $100,000 per year job on the body that controls energy prices for years to come if he "remained a team player."
Dunn--who ran on a pledge to compel Alabama Power executives to open their financial books and publicly answer questions--demurred, and soon found himself the target of what appeared to be a concerted smear campaign.
One 2013 headline in the right-wing Yellowhammer News claimed that "Democrats embrace" him, while a 2014 column by Alabama Political Reporter editor-in-chief Bill Britt accused Dunn of "using the state's utility rates for political gain."
In 2014, Dunn lost his race for reelection by 19 percentage points. To this day, Alabama has not had a rate hearing on power prices, and Alabama Power remains one of the nation's most profitable utilities, according to NPR.
This is but a sampling of the alarming corruption detailed in the lengthy expose. Reacting to the report, HEATED publisher Emily Atkin said that it "pulls back the curtain on yet another insidious corporate strategy to erode the core tenets of democracy for profit."
"The most evil thing about this tactic is that it is designed to further erode public trust in the press," Atkin tweeted. "These people constantly deride real journalism as fake news while simultaneously funding the creation of actual fake news. They're confusing people into complacency."
"These power companies and their political allies want you to believe all journalism is pay-for-play," she continued. "Don't fall into their trap."
"Oh, and one more thing--If you're a professional journalist, I am BEGGING you to speak out against people and practices described in this story," Atkin added. "A free press relies on self-regulation. Defend our fucking profession."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.