The Press: John Smith, Negro

Almost daily, U.S. newspapers are confronted by a nettlesome problem for which they have found no final answer. The problem: Should Negroes be identified as such in news stories? Many newspapers follow the New York Times's practice, use the racial tag "only when there is a legitimate purpose to be served" or it is "a matter of pride to all of us," i.e., when a Negro is honored. But many other Northern newspapers, and almost all Southern dailies, label Negroes as such whenever they appear in the news. Last week, the Chicago Tribune was...