Is it racist to render Black English phonetically in news stories?

A quote is a quote.

It’s used to be usual to put (sic) after a quote like that.

However such is the standard of journalism these days, I doubt if some have even heard of it, and / or thought “tryna” was a real word.

If you are quoting, you are supposed to be accurate, not alter the language, unless the meaning is otherwise impossible to understand.

I hate to tell you this, but I hear many whites use language that is supposedly "black". "Tryna" isn't specifically Black English.

I know that because I volunteer as a literacy tutor and have had both black and white students.

Edit: F, of course journalists today know what [sic] means. The readers don't.  We use it in scholarship all the time, but it fell out of popular, mainstream usage many years ago, again because average readers aren't familiar with it.

A quote is a quote.

Maybe the reporter thinks 'tryna' is a real word. I read american reports all the time where white people and black people say 'gonna', which is not a word either. 

As opposed to 'Rural White Southern' English with verbal slowness and 'might woulda had oughta talk properly...y'all'?

Surely not, Bro'!

The reporter is quoting what the ethnic person said so it was right to spell it that way.

If he had used those same words in his own report that would be pandering to the black community and would indeed be racist.

No, the reporter is repeating what was said, not what he thinks they should have said. Or what you would prefer was said.

Is it only racist  if the speech of non whites shows lack of education?

Perhaps better to try to raise standards  than to white wash the obvious issues many have. Innit?

Tbh the death of a whole family and you pick on diction?

As for ‘black English’ no such thing, just sloppy speech, no matter who speaks it.

Most 'Murikans have a casual relationship with the English language.