The use of racial identifiers in the media was for decades a means of singling out those who were not white. The practice helped form and fuel stereotypes and continues today to push a wedge between people.
Race is relevant when the story is about race.
Just because people in conflict are of different races does not mean that race is the source of their dispute. A story about interracial dating, however, is a story about race. Journalists too frequently assume that readers will know the significance of race in stories. The result is often radically different interpretations. That is imprecise journalism, and its harm may be magnified by the lens of race.