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Excerpt from Emily Miller's latest newsletter.

The AP Stylebook is like a mix of the dictionary and a bible for journalists. We use the reference book to know how to correctly write out terms on any subject, punctuate and adhere to a consistent standard. When the gods who run the Associated Press guide make a change, it reverberates through the media as we are expected to adhere to it.

Thus, it is a really big deal that the Stylebook announced Wednesday that reporters should not use the terms assault weapon and assault rifle because they are:

"highly politicized terms which generally refer to AR- or AK- style rifles designed for the civilian market, but convey little meaning about the actual function of the weapon."

The AP told reporters in a “tip” that the preferred term is “semi-automatic rifle.” Frankly, I don’t think it’s necessary to include semi-automatic because there are no fully automatic rifles being used in crime in America or included in any laws banning them.