Summary: Journalists are supposed to pick their words carefully and most news organisations have books that spell out the do’s and don’t’s of terminology; what kind of language to use when dealing with contentious topics, and what terms to avoid. The news business is a minefield of controversial terminology and last month, the news agency the Associated Press called time on one phrase, illegal immigrant. The reason given was that the word 'illegal' should not be used to describe a person. 'Illegal', according to the AP, should only describe an action, such as living in a country illegally. AP’s style guide is among the most influential in the news business. The agency provides wire services to thousands of news organisations – 1,400 print outlets in the US alone and 5,000 broadcasters around the world. So when the AP makes a change, it matters: not just for the agency, but for all who subscribe to its services and adopt its language.
