An archive is not simply a store of truth. It is a collection of what was kept. What is missing may be chance, lack of space, poor order or a deliberate decision.
That is where rumours begin. A gap is noticed, a marginal note is overinterpreted, a date does not quite fit. Suddenly a banal process feels like a locked room.
Media like to pick up such moments when they can be told well. For sober examination, however, what can be checked matters more: origin, context, repetition and alternative explanation.
The shadow in the archive is rarely the proof. It is usually only a hint that one should read more slowly.
