Altered Perceptions; Exposing the Political Alignment of the American Press During the Cuban Period of the Cold War, 1959-1962

Encompassing the years of 1959-1962, the Cuban period is categorized as the most dangerous period in the Cold War, in which political tensions allowed the world to reach the point of atomic brinkmanship. Heavily documented by the American Press, two major Eastern newspapers, the Democratically inclined New York Times and the more conservative Chicago Tribune, provided distinctly different perceptions of American action relating to Cuba. Review of contrasting information presented within the two newspapers reveals the considerable political influence affecting the portrayal of the invasive actions of the United

States beginning with the Cuban Revolution and ending with the resigned peace following the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Prior to the 1958-59 Cuban Revolution, the United States enjoyed considerable influence and economic success in Cuba under the Government of Fulgencio Batista. The removal of the Batista Government by the revolutionary forces of Fidel Castro in late 1958 provoked excessive American attempts to manipulate the Provisional Government, with little success. Initial reporting within the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune demonstrate the visible divisions between Press coverage, influenced by each paper’s respective political affiliations. Despite an initially confusing presentation of unfolding Cuban events, the New York Times quickly adopted a position reflecting the overt support of the Eisenhower Administration, while the Chicago Tribune adopted a reserved policy, gradually adopting an anti-Castro outlook following the perceived infringements against American industry in Cuba. While Press coverage during the initial year of the Castro Government, provides a critical baseline for perceptions of the American Press, the deceptive actions of the Kennedy Administration during 1961 and again in 1962 produced visible divisions in the perception both Fidel Castro and the Kennedy Administration. Placing the Cuban period within the proper context of the Cold War, the reflections of the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune are indicative of the capability of political affiliations to alter the presentation of pertinent information to public, while simultaneously shaping global perceptions of the American Government.