Organized Interest Advertorials

Abstract

Advertorials are a form of outside lobbying that organized interests use to influence policy makers and attentive publics. It is apparent by their popularity that organized interests consider them to be an effective form of political communication. Recent studies have dealt with advertorials related to the ordinary business of politics and public affairs. This article examines advertorials associated with an extraordinary event, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack and the ensuing “war on terrorism.” The authors analyze 689 advertorials sponsored by 415 organized interests that appeared in the New York Times from the attack through the first anniversary to the end of 2002. Typologies of advertorials (11), organized interests (21), corporate and noncorporate economic interests (30), and 9/11 content (28) are used to document what types of advertorials were placed, what interests availed themselves of advertorial campaigns, which organizations sponsored the most advertorials, and what messages were being communicated. The rationales of organized interests in sponsoring advertorials in response to a national trauma like 9/11 are discussed.