delete: I'm just going to delete my comment, it was off the mark.
edit: I was not precise with my use of 'most' and I apologise. I meant most Americans would better relate to Communist, as that's what's taught to us and was in the news.
As someone growing up in the east german (I was 15 in 1989), I can tell for sure that we've learnt in school that the GDR is an socialist country on its way to the communism.
I don't think it did. Maybe the terms are being used differently in different cultures. Nothing wrong with that. The article is written with an American audience in mind.
No, that's not true. I've heard of the GDR being referred to as socialist plenty of times in Germany. The main party was even called the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (Socialist Unity Party of Germany).
edit: I was not precise with my use of 'most' and I apologise. I meant most Americans would better relate to Communist, as that's what's taught to us and was in the news.