For the week of November 24:

The transparency debate for pharmaceutical companies has shifted to the media outlets who cover them closely.

Dr. Frederick Goodwin, a psychiatrist who hosted a program called “The Infinite Mind” on NPR, did not report at least $1.3 million in income from drugmakers, reports The New York Times. NPR, which told the newspaper it was unaware of the financial conflicts of interest, plans to stop the program.

The Times also reported on a paper published in a British medical journal that says health reporters who accept industry-sponsored awards and rely on corporate PR offices for information can face the same ethical dilemmas.

The paper mentioned PR firms that work with “freelance writers (whose ranks are growing as newspapers throw staffers overboard) to compose stories for trade mags.”

Also:

Johnson & Johnson announces a collaboration with the University of California, San Diego, signifying a larger trend of drugmakers partnering with universities to expand their pipelines.

Biotechs are struggling because of their lack of cash reserves, with many industry start-ups pausing research and considering selling themselves to larger companies to prevent bankruptcy.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is starting its own health news service, to be used for its own Web site and for collaborations with mainstream media outlets.