New York, NY (October 3, 2002) - HarperCollins Publishers, in a co-production with EpiCom Media, has acquired the rights to publish A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, a global photography project documenting America's military over the course of a twenty-four hour period. Cathy Hemming, President and Publisher of the HarperCollins General Books Group, negotiated the deal with Robert Gottlieb, of Trident Media Group, LLC, representing EpiCom Media and the book's co-creators and authors, Matthew Naythons and Lewis J. Korman. HarperCollins will publish the book in May 2003.

On Tuesday, October 22, 2002 at 00:01 hours, a team of 125 of the world's greatest civilian and military photographers will be poised at 125 locations around the globe to launch this unprecedented mission: producing a portrait in indelible images and eloquent words of the men and women who wear the military uniforms of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

For the next twenty-four hours, this team of award winning photojournalists (including 12 Pulitzer Prize winners) will, with the full cooperation of the United States Department of Defense, document the lives of elite units and freshly minted recruits; of cadets, generals, chaplains, medics and MPs; of personnel at desolate outposts, on strategic bases, and in the cockpits of fighter planes.

"This kind of sweeping inside portrait of our armed forces, captured simultaneously around the world, has to be unparalleled," says Hemming. "Cumulatively, these journalists, and the book's creative team, will provide us with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the men and women serving in the military."

Spanning roughly 70 sites in the United States and its territories, and 55 others internationally, the photographers' assignments will include searching for the remains of MIA soldiers in Vietnam; going on maneuvers in a Trident nuclear submarine off the west coast of the United States; descending deep into the control room of Cheyenne Mountain's Command Combat Center outside of Colorado Springs; accompanying Marines into the field at Okinawa's Jungle Warfare Training Center; and visiting the home of Navy's "Top Gun" school at Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada.

"While we capture the routine and heroic operations that 24/7 safeguard democracy, our goal is to open a window into the soul of the armed forces-the personal, human side that is not on display in the evening news," says Naythons. Adds Korman, "We are thrilled about this collaboration with HarperCollins and the cooperation of the Department of Defense, and eagerly anticipate creating the final product-a collection of the most insightful and revealing images from the best photographers in the world."

The Day in the Life series has resonated with readers for two decades, beginning with A Day in the Life of Australia, published in 1981. A Day in the Life of America, which was published in 1986, now boasts more than 1.2 million copies in print. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES will be the 16th title HarperCollins has published in the series, which also includes A Day in the Life of China (1989), A Day in the Life of Hollywood (1992) and A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union (1987).

Project co-creators and authors Naythons and Korman have significant experience in the entertainment and publishing business. As President of Epicenter Communications, Naythons--an accomplished photojournalist and book packager--has over the last 13 years produced 14 highly acclaimed books featuring the world's leading photographers. Korman has served as Senior Vice President of Tri-Star Pictures, Chief Operating Officer of Columbia Pictures Entertainment and Chairman of its motion picture division, and as founder and president of Savoy Pictures Entertainment. Together with Robert Gottlieb, Naythons and Korman are partners in EpiCom Media, a company dedicated to creating significant books of photojournalism.

HarperCollins is one of the leading English-language publishers in the world and is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NCP, NCPDP). Headquartered in New York, the company has publishing groups in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Its publishing groups include the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children's Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand, and HarperCollins India. The HarperCollins General Books Group is made up of four operating divisions: HarperTrade, Morrow/Avon, HarperInformation and HarperSanFrancisco. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet at http://www.harpercollins.com.

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