Ray Moynihan reveals that while educational events have been advertised to Australian medical practitioners as being independent, behind the scenes sponsoring drug companies were being offered the chance to nominate speakers and topics relating to their drugs. At the center of the controversy is Healthed, which describes itself as "one of Australia's most popular and respected providers of education for health professionals." In 2006 one drug company, CSL, agreed to a "platinum sponsorship" package costing $A18,000 for four seminars to help promote its pain relief drug, Tramal. In an email, CSL wrote to Healthed founder, Dr Ramesh Manocha, asking that he "determine the speaker's opinion re: Tramal as I would like to ensure he positions it appropriately." In response Manocha wrote that he would "reconfirm opinion of headache speaker regarding Tramal to ensure balanced presentation."

In 2005, the Army celebrated its 230th birthday with its NASCAR driverThe U.S. Air Force "wants to more than double its advertising budget ... to $112.5 million," reports the Air Force Times. Like the Army, which is increasingly targeting adult "influencers" in its attempts to get more young recruits, the Air Force wants to go beyond "the typical advertising to convince young adults to consider joining the service." With an increased ad budget, the Air Force would "explain" its mission "to a wider, and older, general public -- the folks who pay taxes, elect lawmakers and whose children join the service." Over a year, 220 million adults will each "see 30 Air Force advertisements, from ads on Web sites to full-page newspaper ads to prime-time television ads," according to the campaign plan. The campaign will educate "the American public on how today's Air Force is the most engaged, versatile and high-tech of all the military services," states the Air Force's budget proposal.