Religion: Pope Papers

How to be a Polish journalist

When Pope John Paul II made his historic homecoming to Poland earlier this month, hundreds of Western journalists covered the trip as they would any fast-breaking major story, constantly revising and updating their reports as events unfolded. But their Polish counterparts had no such need for speed and flexibility. The content of their stories—and the number of accompanying photographs —had been largely dictated by the Polish Communist Party's Central Committee weeks before the Pope arrived.

A ten-page draft of the Central Committee's instructions for local coverage of the papal visit has been smuggled out of Poland. Though...

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