Coverage of Mamie Eisenhower as First Lady illustrates difficulties that the media have in projecting images of women. Like many women in the news, she was noteworthy because of her satellite status in relation to a man. Exercising some control over her public portrayal--if only to refuse to see the press to the extent it desired--she deliberately chose to present herself within the framework of sex-role stereotyping instead of presenting herself as a flesh-and-blood human being. The degree to which the press joined with her to present her in stereotypical terms raises the question of whether it was held captive by its own assumptions concerning the role of women. (Author/CRH)