IMHO, it's not that Michael couldn't deal with the press. People tend to give Michael too little credit. Like you mentioned, Michael had been in showbiz since he's a child. He knew show business inside out. He knew how to play the game better than most people out there. He wouldn't be the most successful, most famous and most beloved entertainer in showbiz if he couldn't deal with the press. But, if every force out there is determined to pull him down from the stratosphere, even a mastermind would have problem in dealing with the constant pressure. We are talking about non-stop character asssssinations since the success of Thriller.
Moreover, Michael's songs are challenging in a way that they force people, especially the media, out of their comfort zones. While many of Michael's peers were still singing about subjects like romantice love, sex, Michael sang about social injustice, environment, jealousy and feeling of being isolated. Michael was an artist in his core. He's not afraid to push the envelope (not for the sake of shock value and promotion), but to challenge people to look around and face the real issues. Doing so, Michael was making many people in the press uncomfortable.
Nowadays, almost every young star in the entertainment industry is saying he/she is inspired by Michael Jackson. Despite all the downs in Michael's career, Michael's career is still being hailed as the ultimate benchmark. I tend to believe that Michael knew what he was doing all along. He knew attentions from the media were short-lived. No one would remember what Rolling Stone or whoever had to say ten years ago. But, he arts will always speak for him. His arts remain and that's what an artist strived for.
.
