Floodlight earned the Arthur E. Rowse Award for Examining the News Media for their investigation of how energy companies are quietly purchasing local news outlets and employing out-of-work journalists to lend legitimacy to industry messaging — a “news mirage” that masquerades as real journalism, often without readers’ awareness. Floodlight’s Media Manipulation in America was praised by the National Press Club Journalism Awards’ judges for its high-quality reporting, its narrative strength, and its ability to surface an urgent yet little-known issue at the intersection of media, power, and public trust.
