At the beginning of the 21st century - an age of spin - this text focuses on a key contemporary issue: how far can we trust public authorities such as the government, the media and the Church? The authors write about concerns that lie at the heart of almost every news story - how much of what we see and hear is the whole truth? For example, news correspondent Kate Adie offers a sober reflection on how reports on human atrocity are cleaned up for public viewing, Douglas Hurd looks at how the consumer society determines what TV and the media offer, and Peter Hennessy surveys the tradition of government leaks.