Readers' Ombudsman: This 'war' of words may offend but it is now a norm in language

NEWSPAPERS have a role in society that requires them to be responsible and to be seen to be responsible, probably as much as any big corporation. In terms of use of language, newspapers have to have a greater responsibility, in my view. We take words and their use seriously.

A reader recently took issue with a word used in a front-page headline; more precisely, the context in which the offending word was used.

"I object to your use of the word 'war' in the front-page headline 'Holyrood and Westminster at war over oil...