Happy New Year!
We are looking forward to this being the first of many years serving our readers as The Sunrise News. Our website is now live and you can view our Alabama round-ups, including today’s, and all of our other articles here.
Alabama top stories in brief
- Alabama’s population is growing despite the death rate still outpacing the birth rate. This growth is due to people migrating from other states to Alabama, and it is not evenly distributed among the counties. Baldwin and Madison county saw the largest increases in population through migration.
- Autauga County Sheriff Joe Sedinger died at age 72 on Dec. 26, 2022 following a brief battle with cancer. He was well-loved by his community. The county coroner, Buster Barber, will assume the sheriff’s responsibilities until the governor decides how to replace Sedinger.
- Alabama Power increased their rates in August and December 2022 and recently announced another increase set to start in January 2023. The company cited “compliance with federal requirements, as well as unprecedented inflation and economic conditions” as the reason for the increases.
- A Moody landfill fire has been burning since Nov. 24 and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) recommended that those affected by the smoke limit outdoor activity and even suggested “temporarily relocating.”
- As of Jan. 1, concealed carry permits will no longer be required in Alabama or Georgia. Some sheriffs remain worried that the lack of permit fees will negatively impact their budgets. According to Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama, there was a significant drop in permit revenue for 2022. While the new law does mean that gun owners no longer need a permit to keep a handgun in their car, property owners and businesses still have the right to restrict firearms. Permits can still be purchased in Alabama and will be applicable in states like Florida that still require them.
A consulting firm connected to Alabama Power has financial ties to local newspapers
A joint investigation by NPR and Floodlight recently brought to light that the consulting firm Matrix LLC, whose clients include Alabama Power, has financial connections to six news outlets across Alabama and Florida. In Alabama, these consist of Alabama Today, Alabama Political Reporter and Yellowhammer News.
The article from NPR and Floodlight specifically implicates Alabama Political Reporter and Yellowhammer in writing articles that attacked former Public Service Commissioner Terry Dunn, after Dunn promised to hold a rate hearing for Alabama Power. A rate hearing would mean that financials for the company would be scrutinized and they would have to publicly answer questions under oath, something they haven’t done in almost three decades.
Analysis by Floodlight and NPR of the three Alabama-based news sites showed that coverage of Alabama Power was mostly positive or closely resembled press releases made by the company. Additionally, former reporters at Alabama Political Reporter said in interviews that some articles about Alabama Power were put under extra scrutiny by editors and in one case not published.
From at least April of 2013, Alabama Political Reporter received $8,000 a month from Matrix, and Matrix also designed Alabama Political Reporter’s website. According to Bill Britt, editor in chief of Alabama Political Reporter, payments were for advertisements and for reporters to conduct research for Matrix.
In the case of Yellowhammer News, NPR and Floodlight documented transactions between non-profits connected to Alabama Power and nonprofits tied to Yellowhammer News. In 2014, the Alabama Free Market Alliance, whose Facebook page is run by Yellowhammer, received $100,000 from a group linked with Alabama Power.
Allison Ross, the owner of Yellowhammer News said that: “Yellowhammer Multimedia has no relationship, financial or otherwise, with Alabama Political Reporter, Matrix LLC or Alabama Free Market Alliance.”
Both Alabama Power and its parent corporation, Southern Company, declined to make any comment when asked by NPR and Floodlight.
Updates on The Sunrise News
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