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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.
