> I’m not looking to him for moral guidance

I suppose this is the question. Einstein is certainly more known for his moral legacy than most scientists.

He was a WWII refugee and a pacifist, he authored (and later regretted) the letter sparking US nuclear ambitions, he joined the NAACP and his offer of testimony in W.E.B. DuBois' trial led to the charges against him being dropped. To me, this isn't merely the halo effect around his academic work - Einstein was at least a modest player in morality and social politics in his time, and his work fighting racism in the US does add particular relevance to the story.

I agree, though, that the story is already being overblown; we're getting news stories with Einstein's picture edited to look demonic. This is a scientist's diary from the 1920s containing views less racist than ones openly stated by US politicians from the last 50 years.

That's the right point of view, in my opinion. Unfortunately many people tend to take the word of intellectuals outside their realm of expertise. I'm sure you've heard arguments about religion which mentioned Einstein's remark that "God doesn't play with dice" (it doesn't help that people frequently misunderstand this quote, but even if they didn't: why would Einstein's religious beliefs -- or lack of them -- matter?).

I think journalists may care because they come from universities which teach postmodernist 'deconstruction'. Basically, they are looking for a reason to dismiss everything that western culture has ever built.