Virtue Media

Virtue Media defines itself as an "international apostolate" (or"an organization of the laity devoted to the mission of the Church") that serves as a source of advertising and communications outreach support for local, national, and international anti-abortion organizations. It was founded in Arizona in 1998 by former corporate advertising executive named Tom Peterson, who also serves as its president. Virtue Media creates and airs anti-abortion commercials on cable and broadcast television stations in over 1,500 local media markets around the U.S. The group says it seeks to "lead the way back to a culture of life in America."

Some of Virtue Media's ads feature women sharing stories of the depression, nightmares, infertility problems, suicidal thoughts and guilt they experienced after an abortion. . In January, 2011, Virtue Media began running ads featuring Norma McCorvey, the woman whose court case was the basis of Roe v Wade in 1973. McCorvey, who converted to Christianity in 1995, now makes anti-abortion commercials.

Virtue Media's annual sales are estimated at $1 to 2.5 million.

Strategy
Virtue Media relies upon the fact that 99 percent of American households own a television set, and that Americans, and especially children, spend a huge number of hours watching television, and particularly advertising. Virtue Media counts on the ability of this medium to "form" people. The organization's web site quotes a Kaiser Family Foundation study that says, "American youth spend 38 hours each week consuming media with 'unsupervised television viewing' as the major media of choice." It further quotes a publication by John F. Kavanaugh, S.J., Professor of Philosophy, St. Louis University, called "Advertising Consciousness & Culture":

"'By the time a child reaches the age of 5, he or she will have spent more time watching television than all the accumulated classroom hours spent in getting a college bachelor's degree. And by the time most Americans reach the age of 75, they will have spent 14 uninterrupted years in front of television sets. This is more time than they will spend in any other formative experience ... more time than with any person, any activity, any relationship. At prime time ratios, this runs up to three or four years of watching commercials alone. Television, to be sure, informs us, and more significantly, it forms us as persons.'(Bold emphasis included on the organization's Web site)"

Virtue Media runs its commercials on secular stations, and stations like MTV and BET that are popular with young audiences and minorities.

Funders

 * Catholic Community Foundation

Contact
VirtueMedia 560 W. Crossville Road #101 P.O. Box 1802 Roswell, GA 30077-1802 Phone: 770-559-5533 Fax: 678-585-7854