November 20, 2014 -- Mark Leibovich, chief national correspondent for The New York Times and author of This Town, has said the online and print publication Politico was “emblematic of the new media revolution and the information revolution which ... has transformed Washington.”

Purchasing a full-page print ad in Politico, which is published up to five times per week while Congress is in session, has become part of the formula any well-funded advocacy campaign uses to win over the hearts and minds of members of Congress, executive branch regulators, and other power players in Washington, D.C.  Politico tells advertisers: “Top companies advertise with us to reach thought leaders, with the goal of influencing their view and agendas.”

Forward Observer reviewed PDFs of every print edition of Politico from June through September 2014 and identified 202 full-page issue ads by interest groups and companies, from the United States Chamber of Commerce to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

When Washington’s biggest organizations and America’s largest companies use this method to communicate to Washington, what do they say -- and how effectively do they say it? 

Read our brief to find out.