Mistress? No, I’m just his friend...

THE term ‘mistress’ has been banned by a leading news agency, which says it implies women are to blame for affairs.

Associated Press journalists have been told to use alternatives such as ‘friend’.

The decision was announced by the Twitter account for the AP Stylebook, which governs how its 3,300 employees around the world should write.

The US agency provides articles to most English-language news organisations, which often adopt its style changes. ‘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 Stylebook tweeted.

‘Instead, use an alternative like companion, friend or lover on first reference and provide additional details later.’ It said this was to avoid ‘implying that the woman was solely responsible’.

On social media, users said it was the latest example of ‘cancel culture’. One asked: ‘Does someone at AP have a mistress who got huffy over the term?’