I have been delving into the subject of sea serpents lately, so I am in a position to make a few comments. I am very familiar with nineteenth-century journalism, and there is no question that newspapers frequently published the bizarre and sensational. It's not possible to determine what editors, reporters, or readers believed based on this evidence, but there was clearly motivation because something like a sea serpent can sell newspapers.

I am in less of a position to comment on the change that you perceive in the early twentieth century. Perhaps a historian of journalism can step in and comment. I can say that this is not my observation, but I can imagine our historian of newsprint arguing that there was, indeed, a shift toward skepticism with a corresponding step away from the sensational to sell newspapers - although tabloids clearly stepped into that realm, so perhaps we are seeing something complex rather than a fundamental shift in attitudes.

The problem here is that it is extremely difficult to summarize or evaluate widespread levels of belief, cynicism, and critical thinking. There has been a tendency, documented for centuries, to regard the previous generation as being more susceptible when it comes to beliefs in the supernatural - but this ongoing attitude about those who went before does not reflect an arc of history bending toward the rational. Belief has always continued to thrive even if the specific nature of the extraordinary shifts.

I have been working on a specific sea serpent, the Morgawr of the southern coast of Cornwall. My article, 'Morgawr and the Folkloresque,' will appear posted by the online journal, Shima, apparently within two months, but at this point I do not have information on the citation, nor can I share the piece. I can tell you about my observations.

The Morgawr was invented as a hoax in 1976. It subsequently inspired the identification of many subsequent sittings of unusual things in the region as evidence of this creature. In addition, enthusiasts went through historical newspapers to find additional, regional sea serpents, all of which were now labeled as the Morgawr, even if the specifics of the observations were far afield.

This process might have been interrupted by a 2001 newspaper article, which described the specifics of the hoax as witnessed by one of the perpetrators. The article has had little to no effect, and observations continue to be identified as evidence of this serpent, which has clearly taken on a life of its own. One observation described three pups with the monster - so it is clearly breeding!!!

My point here is that I have not observed any shift toward the rational. My survey is not international; it is restricted to the southern Cornish coast. The research required to evaluate - with statistical precision - any shift in attitudes or in the presentation of maritime stories does not exist as far as I know. What you are observing may be something specific to the newspapers you are considering. It hasn't been something I have seen - understanding and underscoring the very real limits in my research!