The big difference from earlier times is the ease with which undetectable manipulations can be made by anyone with a smartphone.

It has always been possible to doctor photographs, but it hasn’t always been easy for anyone to do, undetectably, with a device in their pocket.

In the 21st century the trust equation has been reversed, thanks to digital tools for performing even major manipulations without detection.

That undetectability is why photography isn’t just about “how the picture looks” anymore:

In the digital age, not one of the 9 characteristics shared by trusted photographs can be confirmed by studying the photograph.