USA TODAY Earns The Ad Council's Crystal Bell Award

NEW YORK, March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY received the Ad Council's Crystal Bell Award yesterday afternoon at the Newspaper Association of America (NAA)'s mediaXchange conference. Every year the award is presented to one newspaper that shows exceptional support and leadership in disseminating Ad Council public service messages.

The Ad Council, a national non-profit organization, is the largest producer of public service advertising (PSAs) in the United States. Through partnerships with non-profit organizations and federal government agencies, the Ad Council works to stimulate action on public issues through PSAs and innovative communications programs. All Ad Council PSAs are aired and run in donated time and space.

The Crystal Bell Award was presented to USA TODAY for its commitment to supporting public service and donating significant space for the Ad Council's public service advertisements across multiple news platforms.

"The Ad Council could not deliver our public service campaigns to our target audiences across the country without the generosity of the media," said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO, the Ad Council, "USA TODAY's support of a number of critical health and safety messages last year has helped make a significant impact in improving the health and well-being of Americans, and they are highly deserving of this award."

USA TODAY has supported for a variety of social issues including Autism Awareness, Enrollment in Healthcare, Childhood Obesity Prevention, Hunger Prevention and Texting and Driving.

"It is our honor to provide use of our advertising platforms to help worthy non-profit organizations share their important messages. At Gannett our purpose is to serve the greater good of our community and our commitment to public service can be seen through our partnership with the Ad Council," said Larry Kramer, President and Publisher of USA TODAY. "We look forward to our continued work together to put these positive messages in front of our audience."

USA TODAY
USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation — today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of nearly 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 16 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a 70-year history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit adcouncil.org. You can also visit facebook.com/adcouncil or follow the Ad Council on Twitter @AdCouncil.

SOURCE The Ad Council