Atlantic Magazine misleads readers with fictional story presented as reality
The story was presented as a real life tale – except it was entirely fiction: The Atlantic’s measles essay sparks controversy – The Washington Post
The story implies it is by the mother of unvaccinated children, one of whom dies from measles. The story is heart breaking and emotional.
But it is entirely a work of fiction presented as real life. It’s fake. And that was not made clear to readers.
““It is a hypothetical account of a very real phenomenon based on careful reporting,” she said. “I would place it somewhere on the creative nonfiction spectrum.” She said that she interviewed doctors for her piece, and based the character of the mother on herself.”
Writers who achieve attention often have common background elements. She attended private Brandeis University (almost $100k/year in unsubsidized expenses) and then a Masters degree at Cambridge (on a scholarship). She is fluent in English and German and the granddaughter of Irish writer Bram Stoker (which means she can qualify for Irish citizenship). (More on Bram Stoker). She identifies as a socialist and experiences rare epileptic seizures.