It's just that the American media is pretty anti-German and obsessed with the Nazis. It is not rocket science. This is also why Germans are not buying the line that Americans have anything positive to do with the fall of the Wall, and also are not crediting the U.S.,, or Ronald Reagan, for that matter. They think, deep down Americans have always been in kahoots with the Russkis and have just changed colors because its convenient.

Yee-gads, everyone talks about Reagan saying 'Gorby baby, tear down that wall' -- yet none were in Berlin or have any idea what really happened when Reagan was in Berlin that day. Why don't you people ask someone who was there?

You'd soon find out that the distinguishing characteristic of Reagan's visit wasn't his speech -- given pretty much to a select hand-picked audience -- but rather the huge protest and riot against him that took place in Kreuzburg, a part of Berlin under complete lock-down while Reagan was in town.

Those are the circumstances of his visit. Not exactly 'ich-bin-ein-berliner' material.

At 5.20 minutes in Somerstein states "we didn't have the narrative fixed yet of what we wanted the story to be in the media". Then toward the end of the piece Somerstein declares media are "the holders and perpetuators of the myth". You can see how these two statements conflict. The first is more accurate. The lefty dominated media hated Reagan, so gave the whole wall business short shrift. Of course, with an event that momentous effecting so many lives the truth seeped through. The media coverage over the years was forced to more accurately reflect the event for what it was.