... borderline art photography ...

I'm with you. It is possible to tell a lot from a photograph if you have an interest in photography. Professional photographers will not take all their images at eye level but most amateurs will, for instance. There will not only be lighting to provide a level of illunination for portraits but also modelling and highlighting. The background will not be cluttered and depth of field will be used to make the subject stand out. Subtle use of props may be used etc.

An extreme example would be a mug shot taken at the police station with flat lighting versus a portrait sitting by a professional with multiple lights all of which fulfill a different purpose.

This would be one area where a real journalist could make some serious inquiries. Where did all those photographs come from?

They could also follow up on the people involved some months later. If they were genuine people they could re-visit their homes but if they really were actors they would most likely not be available or have forgotten their stories.

All these events seem to be massive media events at the time then they largely fall into the memory hole and apart from anniversaries etc very little further is ever discovered.

Perhaps if these parents are illegal immigrants, the photos were taken at a housing facility at the border awaiting processing or something. Just a thought.