AT&T Earns Best Corporate Reputation in the Media, According to Cision

Launch of Apple iPhone Drives Positive Media Coverage for AT&T

CHICAGO, IL, July 19, 2007 – AT&T Corp. (NYSE: T) benefited the most from the nation’s leading media during the second quarter of 2007, according to the Delahaye Index, a quarterly assessment of how news coverage reflects and helps shape the corporate reputations of America’s 100 largest companies. The Index is conducted by Cision (www.us.cision.com), a leading provider of media research and analysis services for communications, public relations, and marketing professionals.

Elevated by news of its partnership with Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), and the launch of the much publicized iPhone, AT&T took first place on the Index for the second quarter.

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) secured second place with news of upward economic performance, a strong product pipeline and the acquisition of online advertising company, aQuantive. News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) appeared in the Index top ten for the first time this quarter, ranking third due to high-profile news coverage over its bid for Dow Jones & Company Inc. (NYSE: DJ), the owner of The Wall Street Journal.

Cision found that media coverage improved for Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC), putting it in fourth place on news of a 19% profit surge and the formation of a new company with STMicro to sell flash memory chips. Positive news in the second quarter also benefited The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) in fifth place with the media reporting upward financial growth and strong sales as the company reaffirmed its outlook for double-digit increases in earnings and revenue through 2008.

Positive media attention in the second quarter also benefited Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), advancing the company five spots to sixth place with the announcement of a new mobile banking service allowing customers to complete banking transactions via their cell phones.

Despite several months of high-profile negative coverage, General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) gained positive media attention on environmental issues, as it was the first automaker to join U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition to reduce greenhouse gases.

“This quarter’s Index results reinforce the dynamic nature of media coverage as evidenced by News Corp. and AT&T who were not among the top twenty a year ago, and now find themselves among the highest,” stated Steve Newman, CEO of Cision North America.

“The tech sector continues to be one of the strongest and most stable since the Index began in 2000,” added Newman, “companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Intel have consistently demonstrated their ability to effectively manage their reputations through the media.”

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) enjoyed positive media attention on news of expanded merchandising into fashion and furniture sales, thereby moving them up a spot to eighth place. Augmented by positive news of strong earnings and new product announcements, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) reaffirmed its leadership status for the tech sector, advancing four places to ninth place. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) fell six places from its ranking in the first quarter to tenth place due to one-time divestitures. As a result, net income fell 8.4% to $1.5 billion.

2007 Q2 Index: Top Ten Companies:

  1. AT&T
  2. Microsoft
  3. News Corp.
  4. Intel
  5. The Boeing Company
  6. Citigroup Inc.
  7. General Motors
  8. The Walt Disney Company
  9. IBM
  10. Verizon

Methodology of the 2007 Delahaye Index

The 2007 Delahaye Index includes analysis of different print and internet news items to measure the reputations of the top 100 U.S. companies in the media. Cision, formerly known as Delahaye, begins by gathering news from America’s most prominent national dailies, top business and news magazines ranging from the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to Fortune and Forbes. Each company is assigned a score based on how many positive and negative reputation-driving attributes are found within each story. These attributes are classified into five dimensions: stakeholder relations, financial management, products and services, organizational integrity and organizational strength.

About Cision:
Cision is a leading global media intelligence company, serving the complete workflow of today’s communications, social media and content marketing professionals. Offering the industry’s most comprehensive PR and social software, rich analytics and a Global Insights team, Cision enables clients to improve their marketing and strengthen data-driven decision making. Cision also represents the Gorkana Group, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact brands. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision has over 100,000 customers worldwide and maintains offices in Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and China. For more information, visit www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.