Top Five Political Issues Total $140,000,000 in Federal & Gubernatorial Campaigns; National Media, Inc: Anti-Business Candidates & Groups Seek to Erode Consumer Confidence.

Business Editors/Legal Writers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2002

In a briefing released to business leaders, National Media, Inc. analyzed political and issue advertisements that ran in the top 100 markets in the United States from January to September 14, 2002.

"We have tallied the amounts spent on the four major issues of this election," said Alex Castellanos of National Media, a public affairs and issue advocacy firm in Alexandria, VA.

The five major issues, broken down by advertising dollars spent, are:

Health Care                $55,000,000
Rx Drugs                   $34,000,000
Education                  $25,000,000
Corporate Responsibility   $18,000,000
Social Security            $ 8,000,000

"What is new this cycle is corporate bashing on a national scale," said Castellanos. "Anti-business advocates and labor unions failed in their earlier attempts this year to sink pro-business candidates by linking them to Enron and other scandals. Now they are expanding their attacks to the rest of corporate America."

"It's right out of the Al Gore populist playbook. These anti-business campaigns erode consumer confidence and corporate credibility -- all for the left's short term political benefit," said Castellanos. "They bite the hand that feeds America. In the past, Scare Tactics 101 has been the anti-business election strategy. This year we are seeing the graduate course."

"CEOs and business groups need to launch or intensify their efforts to blunt their critic's irresponsible assertions," said Jim Courtovich of National Media. "We estimate that ads employing social security scare tactics and attacking American business will total well over $150,000,000 this cycle."

"The total amount spent on campaign advertising in this cycle nears $360,000,000 (January 1, 2002-September 14, 2002). Roughly $220,000,000 of that has gone into candidate biographies, local topics and other policy issues," said Courtovich who directs the public affairs practice at National Media. "We estimate 30-40% of the health/Rx related ads are hard hitting against the pharmaceutical and health care industry." "80% of the corporate ads are attack ads that often attack business as a whole."

"What is unfortunate," said Castellanos, "is that many of these corporate bashing ads are being run with political funds contributed by American business." Castellanos warned businesses that contribute to Democratic campaigns will see some of these dollars come back to haunt them. "When you hit yourself in the head with a hammer, you can't complain about having a headache."

National Media Inc. is an independent full-service public affairs and issues advocacy firm located in Alexandria, Virginia. The data was collected by CMAG (Campaign Media Analysis Group, www.poiliticsontv.com) for analysis by its clients. The survey was conducted for 2002. The majority of ads in question began airing in July, 2002.