Sentence:  The amount of space at the disposal of newspapers, and the want of something to talk about and write about, produced that mild autumnal effect known as the <WSD>silly season</WSD>, which sets in when there is a lull in politics, and a dearth of news. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A period, usually during the summertime, when news media tend to place increased emphasis on reporting light-hearted, offbeat, or bizarre stories.