Newspapers often headline stories about wars and murders. “A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers” is a definition that has been cited in print since at least 1985 and is of unknown authorship.
 
   
Google Books
Fundamentals of Voice & Diction
By Lyle Vernon Mayer
Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown
1985
Pg. 117:
A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers.
   
Google Groups: alt.sex.bondage
Strawberry Jammer
1/17/90
(...)
Fairy Tale, n.:
A horror story to prepare children for the newspapers.
   
Google Groups: rec.humor
Simos Hadjiyiannis
5/13/91
(...)
Fairy Tale, n.:
A horror story to prepare children for the newspapers.
   
Google Books
Dictionary Of Proverbs
By Grenville Kleiser
New Delhi: A.P.H. Publishing Corporation
2005
Pg. 54:
Fairy tale: A horror story to prepare children for the newspapers.
 
Amazon.co.uk
Fairy Tale: A horror story to prepare children for the newspapers. - Funny Printed Coffee Mug [BLK4732]
by Mugz Game
Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 14 Sep 2011
 
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Cornelia France
‏@Corneliafrance
Fairy Tale: A horror story to prepare children for the newspapers.
6:31 PM - 23 May 12