New York, NY – September 30, 2002 – On Thursday, October 3rd at 7:00 p.m., the Virtue Foundation, in collaboration with The Overseas Press Club of America and the Nour Foundation, will present a timely panel discussion at the Harvard Club on the theme of “Ethics in Corporate America: The Role of the Media in Regaining Public Trust.”

As scandal after scandal continues to rock the foundations of the business community, many theories have surfaced seeking to explain why such an ethical void exists in today’s corporate culture. A distinguished panel of media and business experts, including Chris Cramer, President of CNN International Networks; Maria Bartiromo, CNBC Anchor; Leo C. O’Neill, President of Standard and Poor’s; Joseph L. Badaracco, John Shad Professor of Business Ethics at Harvard Business School; Jonathan Weil, Wall Street Journal Reporter; and Alan Gersten, Past President of the New York Financial Writers’ Association, gather to discuss what role the media can play to help restore public confidence in our business leaders and financial institutions. Rather than simply reacting to news of corporate scandals, should the media adopt a more active posture by seeking to provide commentary, insight, and solutions to some of the root causes of this problem? Should the media focus more on substantive ethical issues and programs that raise public awareness and better inform viewers? What can be done to reinstall core values in America’s corporate communities? Is the media itself immune from the corruption that has seemingly gripped the corporate world?

The Virtue Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the research and development of a universal body of ethics that transcends such boundaries as race, culture, gender, and religion. The Foundation seeks to raise awareness of ethical issues and to promote the application and development of universally accepted principles of ethical behavior within daily life.