According to Paris-based media watchdog group, Reporters Without Borders, 2007 was the deadliest year for the media in more than a decade, with at least 86 journalists killed around the world. Additionally, 67 journalists were kidnapped and 135 were held hostage.

American Business Media recently commissioned Harris Interactive to explore the use and role of B2B media among corporate decision makers. The goal was to determine to what extent various types of media affected business and purchasing decisions and how marketers can match their marketing strategies to the needs of these executives. Almost 600 decision makers across 21 industries responded to the survey.

The Google brand has been built largely through word of mouth - recommendations from friends and the almost obsessive media coverage of the company. Hardly a day goes by without Google's name being splattered across television, radio, magazines, newspapers and, of course, the Internet. That gives the company even more clout with advertisers and even less reason to advertise itself.

A new study, "New Media, New Influencers and Implications for the PR Profession," presented at the Society for New Communications Research Symposium in Boston last month focused on the rising interest of businesses in targeting "influentials" through such social media as blogging.