FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2001

Contact:  Ronni Faust
Ph: (212) 872-3732
Email: rfaust@magazine.org

Books and Magazines Share Spotlight at FMI Get Caught Reading Booth Sponsored by AAP and MPA
Association of American Publishers and Magazine Publishers of America join forces for nationwide campaign to promote reading

Chicago, IL - Visitors to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) show, in Chicago at McCormick Place Convention Center, May 6-8, can discover the joy of reading at the Get Caught Reading booth, #2654. Jointly sponsored by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) and International Periodicals Distributors Association (IPDA), Get Caught Reading is a nationwide campaign to encourage a love of reading among people of all ages.

On Sunday, May 6, throughout the day, retailers will have an opportunity to learn about the initiative and get ideas for implementing in-store Get Caught Reading programs with its founder, former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, who is currently President and CEO of AAP. Nina Link, the MPA's President and CEO, will also be on hand.

Several author book signings are scheduled to take place at the Get Caught Reading booth, including: Award-winning restaurateur and chef Bruce Cost, author of the cookbook Big Bowl Noodles and Rice: Fresh Asian Cooking from the Renowned Restaurant (HarperCollins), Sunday, May 6, 1:00 - 2:00pm; Su-Mei Yu, chef-owner of San Diego's acclaimed Saffron Restaurant and author of Cracking the Coconut (William Morrow), Sunday, May 6, 2:00 - 3:00pm; popular mystery novelist Sara Paretsky, author of Hard Time (Dell), Monday, May 7, 2:00 - 3:00pm.

Baseball great and former Chicago Cubs shortstop and Hall of Famer Ernie Banks will be at the Get Caught Reading booth on Tuesday, May 8, from 11:00am - 12noon to greet his fans and show his support for the campaign. Visitors to the booth who drop off their business cards any time prior to and during his appearance will be entered into a drawing for a baseball autographed by "Mr. Cub" himself.

The partnership between the MPA, which represents the magazine industry, and the AAP, which represents the book publishing industry, will be officially announced to the public and media at an event on Capitol Hill, scheduled for 10:00am, Wednesday, May 9. Congressmen and other dignitaries have been invited to come by and Get Caught Reading a favorite book or magazine. Each will receive a personalized Get Caught Reading poster for distribution to schools and libraries in their districts.

Major celebrities are supporting the Get Caught Reading initiative by posing for public service ads reading a book or magazine. The ever-growing list of avid celebrity readers who have lent their support to the campaign now includes Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Lloyd, Derek Jeter, Rosie O'Donnell, Dolly Parton, Jane Seymour, Sammy Sosa and Robin Williams, as well as Donald Duck and the Rugrats. During the month of May, posters featuring the celebrities will be on display at Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores and independent book sellers throughout the country, as well as distributed to schools and libraries nationwide. Throughout the year, supermarket and mass market retailers across the country will also be supporting Get Caught Reading by featuring special Get Caught Reading floor displays and developing customized programs to generate community involvement and media coverage.

The magazine industry has enthusiastically supported Get Caught Reading by generously donating pages in such titles as Atlantic Monthly, BusinessWeek, Better Homes and Gardens, Discover, Entertainment Weekly, Family Fun, Food & Wine, GQ, Ladies' Home Journal, Los Angeles Weekly, Men's Health, New Republic, People, Playboy, Prevention, Redbook, The New Yorker, Reader's Digest, Seventeen, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Women, TV Guide, and The New York Times Magazine. The newspapers USA Today, New York Post and Village Voice have also run the ads.

Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) is the industry association for the consumer magazine business. Established in 1919, the MPA represents more than 240 domestic publishing companies with approximately 1,400 titles, more than 80 international companies and more than 100 associate service providers. Staffed by magazine industry specialists, the MPA is headquartered in New York City, with an office of government affairs in Washington, D.C.

Association of American Publishers (AAP) is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP's approximately 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field and a range of educational materials for the elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and professional markets. Members also produce computer software and electronic products and services. The promotion of literacy and reading, especially among young people, is one of the AAP's top priorities.