That was the exact point of the letter. That the Kiddush Hashem was made because of the perception of the Nations that this Jewish young man was cleaning the bus. This Kiddush Hashem has nothing to do with the nature of the newspaper, and no one watching was aware what the newspaper was.
The only reason the author informed us that it was a heimishe paper was to let you know that the Bochur’s actions, even though NOT having the intent to make a Kiddush Hashem to the onlookers, nevertheless DID have that effect.
The implied lesson was that we have many opportunities to perform a Kiddush Hashem with small easy acts. Even though the Bochur might not have done this act if it was usa today, we see the important results that would have occurred even if it WAS a usa today