A thread on my new investigation in collaboration with crackerjack team at Floodlight News - cannot say enough good things about @mirandacgreen@marioarizabaez
It's on the manipulation of news media on behalf of giant Florida & Alabama power cos: 🧵
"Invisibility is more powerful than celebrity," reads a plaque at Matrix LLC.
Behind the scenes, Matrix maintained a complex web of connections to sites boosting Alabama Power and Florida Power & Light - which took on their political adversaries, critics & journalists.
"Mostly everything was all made up," one former Alabama energy regulator told us. "You get to thinking, 'Why are they attacking me?' I'm just telling the truth and trying to do what's right for the people."
These sites gained popularity as newspapers deeply cut back staffs but they also helped set the table for business leaders, political figures, and talk radio in those markets.
Records show Matrix designed Alabama Political Reporter's website and paid it $8,000 a month starting in 2013. Editor in chief Bill Britt says that's for advertising. But he also acknowledges Matrix paid his reporters to do research for the political consulting firm. #alpolitics
Florida Politics' Peter Schorsch says he'll report more on you if you're an advertiser. He says advertisers also pay for reporters to conduct research.
FP&L pays him $40K+/yr. By his acct, a Matrix-related publisher paid him at least $100K over several years. #flpolitics
Executives at Matrix and Florida Power & Light dictated some coverage at The Capitolist after a Matrix employee purchased an option to buy the publication in 2019 through a shell co.
In one instance, FP&L CEO ordered up a story mocking McClatchy's Miami Herald & suggested a cartoon lampooning @MaryEllenKlas with a beggar's cup.
Capitolist ran the story three days later and blasted a photshopped image of her panhandling to newsletter subscribers.
Capitolist Publisher & Editor in Chief Brian Burgess asked Matrix for permission to run a piece for another paying client in favor of solar power.
A Matrix employee gave him the green light, arguing to the firm's then CEO, "It makes him look like he's not in our pocket"
Founder Joe Perkins blames ex Matrix CEO Jeff Pitts and other "rogue employees" for any wrongdoing.
He says the firm only paid for advertising and other appropriate services and had nothing to do with the Capitolist and now defunct Sunshine State News.
In litigation, Pitts says he had to leave because of Perkins' unethical behavior, including "deploying phony groups and digital platforms to intimidate individuals as a method to influence public perception and litigation." (Perkins denies this.)
NEWS: Shortly after the 2020 election, a Fox News producer begged colleagues not to let Jeanine Pirro back on the air. She was spouting election fraud conspiracies pulled from the web.
More in my NPR exclusive on Dominion’s $1.6B defamation suit agst Fox: npr.org/2022/09/06/112…
Pirro’s show didn’t appear on Nov 7, 2020, in favor of a Biden address. Still, she returned to air repeatedly carrying water for Trump’s lies about the election.
Unlike Lou Dobbs, who was unceremoniously shown the door, Pirro was elevated this yr to co host of the Five
Pirro is at the heart of legal clashes between Fox and Dominion in the defamation suit.
"I don't know how anything could be more newsworthy than the president of the United States making the allegation” of election fraud, Fox’s outside atty, Dan Webb, tells me.
News: Union members at multiple Tribune newspapers say they're told Alden Global Capital intends to seek voluntary buyouts company-wide.
Note: Alden just loaded Tribune w $278MM in debt for its $630+ acquisition of newspaper chain. Imagine layoffs ensue if buyout goals not met.
$60MM of that debt carries a 13% rate - it was borrowed from Media News - Alden Global's other newspaper division.
h/t to @benyt for initial tweet about NYDNews & memo
Alden's purchase of Tribune went through on Sunday, per SEC filings. Notice of intended buyouts sent on third day of ownership. At the least, includes guild-represented units. Will see how non-guild employees handled.
NEWS ON TRIBUNE SALE: medical device billionaire Hansjorg Wyss drops out of bidding for TribPub after reviewing finances of Chicago Tribune; hotel magnate Stewart Bainum Jr “more committed than ever” to make bid for whole chain exceeding offer from hedge fund Alden Global/MORE
Wyss and his foundation hopes to transform ChiTrib into national model like WaPo under Baron & Bezos; realized it would have taken too much $ and wrong mission - CTrib needs to serve region & city. Wyss pulled out Fri eve.
This from 2 people with direct knowledge to NPR. / more
Trib Pub owns CTrib, NYDaily News, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, Ft Lauderdale Allentown Morning Call & others in Va and elsewhere
Local figures emerged w interest in each - tho Chicago consistently toughest to crack until Wyss entered picture several weeks ago / more
CORRECTION: I misidentified official speaking at virtual event w Chicago Tribune staffers today
Quotes from Chicago Tribune editor and publisher Colin McMahon, not TribPub CEO Terry Jimenez
My apologies to both.
Corrected tweets to follow
NEWS: Chicago Tribune editor Colin McMahon told staffers - audio obtained by NPR
> praises staffers' journalism
> calls fears of Alden "valid"
> says "space" for mission will be "smaller than it is today"
> says Trib papers make 10-13% profits - says Alden will seek 20%+
McMahon: "I acutely feel the stress that people are under the frustration with the way the company has been handling things, the concern and even fear of what is to come."
UPDATE: For 2nd time, U.S. Office of Special Counsel has found Trump's former CEO at US Agency for Global Media probably committed wrongdoing.
Michael Pack hired McGuire Woods law firm to investigate top agency execs he wanted to fire; he paid firm $2M+ in taxpayer funds /more
This courtesy of attys at @GovAcctProj for execs who became whistleblowers
Earlier, special counsel found Pack probably committed wrongdoing in violating newsroom's independence at Voice of America, firing leaders of its sister networks & forcing out foreign journalists.
Here's NPR's original report revealing the contract with law firm (about half-way down in story): npr.org/2020/12/08/944…
Ex VOA Director Robert R. Reilly argues VOA's dysfunction has corrupted its mission. At what should be essay's core, Reilly says VOA should be focused more squarely on making America's case to the world:
2/ Reilly is so intent on denigrating his former staff that he elides and does damage to the truth. Reilly speaks of
"original crime" being named by Trump's CEO for parent agency. Doesn't mention opposition to his mind-boggling writings on LGBTQ and Islam. npr.org/2020/12/11/945…
3/ He also shears tension over Pompeo address at VOA HQ of context of 1/6 attack on Congress. Pompeo has never addressed Trump's actions on 1/6 and Reilly did not ask any Qs about it. Reporters consequently felt news service's credibility was tainted by Pompeo visit.