Word Police: AP Stylebook Bans Use Of The Term ‘Mistress’

The Associated Press, once the model for clear and concise language, has banned another word: “mistress.”

The AP Stylebook, used by writers and editors across the industry, has eliminated the term because the word “implies that the woman was solely responsible for the affair.”

Instead, the stylebook advises the use of the gender-neutral words “companion,” “friend,” or “lover.” The move was made last year but went viral online when the AP posted a tweet on the subject on Wednesday.

“Don’t use the term mistress for a woman who is in a long-term sexual relationship with, and is financially supported by, a man who is married to someone else,” the AP tweeted. “Instead, use an alternative like companion, friend or lover on first reference and provide additional details later.”

Don’t use the term mistress for a woman who is in a long-term sexual relationship with, and is financially supported by, a man who is married to someone else. Instead, use an alternative like companion, friend or lover on first reference and provide additional details later.

— APStylebook (@APStylebook) April 13, 2021

In a follow-up tweet, the news agency wrote: “We understand it’s problematic that the alternative terms fall short. But we felt that was better than having one word for a woman and none for the man, and implying that the woman was solely responsible for the affair.”

We added this guidance last year; it’s not new.
We understand it’s problematic that the alternative terms fall short. But we felt that was better than having one word for a woman and none for the man, and implying that the woman was solely responsible for the affair.

— APStylebook (@APStylebook) April 14, 2021

For the record, Merriam-Wester defines the term as “a woman other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship.” But that’s the fourth definition: 1) “a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: such as the female head of a household”; 2) “a female teacher or tutor” and “a woman who has achieved mastery in some field”; 3) “something personified as female that rules, directs, or dominates.”

The AP has been making changes to its stylebook, including last month. President Joe Biden doesn’t want to call the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a “crisis,” so the AP announced it won’t use the word, either.

They told reporters and editors to avoid using the word “crisis,” saying the border is not in crisis. For the record, Webster’s Dictionary defines “crisis” as “an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending.”

In an internal memo last week, titled “From the Standards Center: A note about the current increase in border entrances,” AP Vice President and Editor-at-Large for Standards John Daniszewski said the border situation doesn’t meet that standard, according to The Washington Examiner.

“The current events in the news – a sharp increase in the arrival of unaccompanied minors – is a problem for border officials, a political challenge for Biden and a dire situation for many migrants who make the journey, but it does not fit the classic dictionary definition of a crisis,” the memo reads.

“Therefore,” it adds, “we should avoid, or at least, be highly cautious, about referring to the present situation as a crisis on our own, although we may quote others using that language.”

In a later blog post, Daniszewski elaborated.

“The current event in the news — a sharp increase in the arrival of unaccompanied minors — is a problem for border officials, a political challenge for Biden, and a dire situation for many migrants who make the journey, but it does not fit the classic dictionary definition of a crisis, which is: ‘turning point in the course of anything; decisive or crucial time, stage, or event,’ OR ‘a time of, or a state of affairs involving, great danger or trouble, often one which threatens to result in unpleasant consequences [an economic crisis].’”

“If using the word ‘crisis,’ we need to ask of what and to whom. There could be a humanitarian crisis if the numbers grow so large that officials cannot house the migrants safely or in sanitary conditions. Migrants may face humanitarian crises in their home countries. In theory, there could be a security or a border crisis if officials lose control of the border, allowing people to enter unencumbered in large numbers. But, in general, avoid hyperbole in calling anything a crisis or an emergency,” he wrote.

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