Whatever the relative degree of culpability, "yellow" journalism is as reprehensible when supported by a part of the Negro press as it is when upheld by a part of the white press. The Negro might just as well learn now the lesson which the white man must learn if he would save the civilization which he has been laboring so long to perfect, i.e., that one's color and race do not excuse wrongdoing. If it is wrong for a white newspaper to make white people hate colored people, how can it be right for a Negro newspaper to make colored people hate white people?
A. CLASSIFICATION OF ARTICLES
The news items in Negro papers show a bias in reporting the opposite of that of many white papers. They emphasize the Negro's view, frequently to the point of distorting fact. If anything, they might be said to provide a compensatory interpretation of the news. The three Negro newspapers selected for study mentioned and briefly characterized in the foregoing pages will show a classification of news items appearing during a forty-week period.
In addition to general news items concerning Negroes, the Defender gave one page to sporting news, one page to theatrical news, two pages to personal news items sent in by correspondents in other cities, and one page to local personal items. On its editorial page two and one-half columns each week were devoted to health articles by Dr. Wilberforce Williams.
The Whip gave one page to sports, one to theatrical news and organization articles, one to out-of-town personal news items and one to local personal items. Its editorial page devoted one column to "Legal Hints to Women," one-half column to "Health Hints," one column to "Legal Catechism," and two columns to editorials from other papers.
The Searchlight gave one page to theatrical, local personal news, and church notes. The editorial page contained two half-columns each week by "The Man about Town."
Note.—A much smaller period for study for Negro papers is necessary since practically all items appearing contain some reference to race.
| Subjects | "Defender" | "Whip" | "Searchlight" | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | Space | Article | Space | Article | Space | |
| General race relations | 12 | 137 | 39 | 525 | 53 | 868 |
| Propaganda | 3 | 60 | 3 | 65 | 1 | 6 |
| Constructive suggestions | 11 | 168 | 15 | 306 | 5 | 92 |
| Criticism of leaders | 3 | 30 | 10 | 185 | 5 | 31 |
| Criticisms of white persons or organizations | 6 | 101 | 6 | 83 | 4 | 59 |
| Political propaganda | 30 | 398 | 10 | 154 | 17 | 251 |
| Discrimination | 7 | 65 | — | — | 5 | 36 |
| Industry | 5 | 39 | 4 | 65 | 6 | 39 |
| Education | — | — | 3 | 35 | 5 | 53 |
| South | 5 | 68 | 5 | 96 | 6 | 52 |
| Negro progress | 5 | 57 | 9 | 265 | 14 | 111 |
| General news, etc. | 3 | 42 | 12 | 174 | 9 | 83 |
| Housing | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 |
| Miscellaneous | 3 | 39 | — | — | — | — |
| Provoked by incidents inimicable to Negroes | 1 | 9 | 1 | 15 | — | — |