"What this country needs is a return to normalcy," writes New York Times economist Paul Krugman. "And I don't mean the selective normalcy the Bush administration wants, in which everyone goes shopping but the media continue to report only inspiring stories and war news. It's time to give the American people the whole picture." He notes that "most Americans get their news from TV. And what they see is heartwarming -- a picture of a nation behaving well in a time of crisis. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans have been both resolute and generous.

NPR's Brooke Gladstone takes a look at wartime propaganda. She talks with authors Alan Winkler, Phillip Knightley, and Rick MacArthur about propaganda used to support various U.S. military campaigns. Gladstone concludes her report with a quote from French playwright Jean Anouilh: "Propaganda is a soft weapon. Hold it in your hands too long, and it will move around like a snake and strike the other way."

According to Clive Cookson, science editor for the Financial Times, news coverage of biotechnology "often appears in a form that anyone who really knows about the subject recognizes as grossly exaggerated, either as positive stories in the time-honoured 'miracle cure' genre or as negative scare stories." Cookson offers tips to help companies make sure the spin goes their way: "The most important thing is to build up a good long-term relationship with journalists. Make friends with them ... Help journalists write stories about your company or research field.