The Press: Objectivity Rampant

To the U.S. press, no less than to the U.S. State Department, the uninvited guest from Moscow posed a real dilemma. Behind the little black mustache of Anastas I. Mikoyan, Soviet First Deputy Premier, resided two men. One—the official emissary of a state dedicated to world conquest—was well concealed by the other: a good-will salesman, radiating charm, beaming his subtle pitch directly at the people, and possessing the built-in news value of a mysterious visitor from a mysterious land. The dilemma was: How to report on the fascinating, amiable salesman while keeping a...