Courtesy Titles

Press, Volume C, Issue 29557, 5 July 1961, Page 8

Courtesy Titles

Sir.—As an admirer of Mr Devine, my pleasure in reading your excellent report of the interview with him was tinged with a certain regret at the failure to extend to him the title of “Mister.” I know that in describing a sporting event, amateur or nrofessional, it is customary for the newspapers to ident’fv the participants bv baldly using surnames. Tb's seem-’ unexceptionable. However, in these egalitarian days and this democratic society one would think that every en‘ertainer or sportsman, amateur or professional being in‘erviewed should be entitled to the same courtesies of address as are extended to other celebrities. Has not the time arrived when this somewhat Irritating practice could be abandoned, or cn the other hand would you consider it proper for one of your reporters if rela‘ ! nig an interview with Sir Gordon Richards to refe l - to him as “■Richards?”. After all, he is still a orofessi-nal horse trainer.—Yours R. P THOMPSON. June 30. 1961. (We have a good deal of sympathy, with Mr Thompson’s complaint. It is onlv as a matter of convenience, not from atrv lack of respect, tw we. in common with most newspapers. omit the courtesy titles in reporting ’ports events and the public statements of sportsmen. It Is often difficult to de-ide when the courtesy title is appropriate in the ligb? of established nraeti-'e. "Sir." p* the nreflx to the name of a titled person, is not. however. me-ely a eourteyv title. —Ed., “The Press.”]