James McKinley Jr.

NYT Gives 'Charismatic' Castro Credit for 'Great Social Achievements'

By Clay Waters | February 19, 2008 - 11:14

The "charismatic" Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's shock retirement for health reasons is covered on the New York Times web site this morning by James McKinley Jr., writing from Mexico City -- "Fidel Castro Resigns as Cuba's President."

President Castro? Was there nothing stronger in the NYT thesaurus this morning?

By contrast, when right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet died in December 2006, the headline that greeted him was (emphasis added): "Augusto Pinochet, Dictator Who Ruled by Terror in Chile, Dies at 91."