Fake News: Disinformation, Deception, and Magical Thinking Over Time

Debunk-Resistant

The publication of the photos drew a largely incredulous response from the press, though a few papers and public figures expressed belief. The Strand was considered a respectable magazine, which may have lent Conan Doyle's arguments more plausibility with the public. As absurd as the existence of fairies seemed to many, the idea that children possessed the technical prowess to fake the photos and the cleverness to maintain their lie presented its own challenges, which defenders of the photos' authenticity leaned heavily upon. Staking out a centrist position, the Manchester City News wrote, "It seems at this point that we must either believe in the almost incredible mystery of the fairy or in the almost incredible wonders of faked photographs" (29 January 1921).

Even before the publication of the December Strand issue, expert examiners had cast doubt on the photos.

[Will misinterpretation of results, seeking out biased checkers]

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