When used in the pasiva refleja, saber and conocer are often interchangeable when referring to a piece of news being made public or becoming known.
-La noticia se supo/conoció ayer — The news was made public yesterday
-Esta semana se ha sabido/conocido que Bárcenas recibirá pena de cárcel — This week it has been made public that Barcenas will receive a jail sentence
-Cuando se supo/conoció que Bárcenas había robado dinero, la gente se cabreó mucho — When it became known that Barcenas had stolen money, people got very angry
-Aún no se sabe/se desconoce si ha habido muertos — It's still unknown whether or not there have been any deaths
