I must say that the entire phenomenon of mainstream media covering UFOs seems to me a cynical bait tactic borrowed from media targeting the conspiracy theory/head case crowd.
I never once saw even an inkling of journalistic value around this subject.
From what I have seen Tyler Rogoway at the Drive has done the most thorough coverage of this idea. There are plenty of criticisms of the site and the reporting but I find the war zone stuff to be pretty good.
I understand the NYT readership is not the most incredulous of groups, but I sincerely hope that all of them understood the plainly obvious fact stated in the headline from the get-go. What kind of idiot thinks that military "unidentified flying objects" during the period of most heightened tensions between world powers since WWII could possibly be anything other than spy games?
I never once saw even an inkling of journalistic value around this subject.