Emerging evidence suggests that media coverage of medicine is increasingly promotional in nature. Recent Australian examples include misleading newspaper articles on an experimental cancer vaccine and a high profile television current affairs segment on a new influenza drug, which failed to disclose the industry ties of a key expert featured in the report.

Macedonia, which is waging a war against ethnic Albanian rebels, has signed well-connected lobbyist Barbour Griffith & Rogers to a $30,000-a-month contract, plus $3,500 in expenses for government relations and trade promotion. The contract runs through the end of next year.

Burson-Marsteller has hired Jordana Friedman, a veteran of several non-governmental advocacy organizations, as a director in its U.S. corporate and financial practice. She joins B-M from the Council on Economic Priorities, a U.S.-based corporate social responsibility research organization, where she served as director of the London office.