The Daily Express, The Times, and Daily Mail have criticised the Welsh Government's style guide of words that can and can't be used by staff – even though the UK Government's guide has the same advice.
The articles, which were published this week, slam the Welsh Government's "list of 'do not use' politically-correct words and phrases" that bans the use of terms such as 'HM Government', 'BAME', and 'able-bodied'.
The Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, also added that the Welsh Government had "well and truly gone mad".
He told The Times: "It's a bonkers misuse of public money and a complete and utter waste of time.
"Civil servants who are just looking to get on with their day job shouldn't be subjected to such nonsense.
"And to be frank the Labour Welsh government has much more important things it should be tackling such as the chronic problems in our NHS and our crumbling road infrastructure, which continues to serve as a national embarrassment."
The Daily Mail article also claimed that Welsh Government staff members were "puzzled" by exclusions in the latest version of their style guide.
One civil servant allegedly said: 'If you ask the ordinary person in the street then they still call it the Welsh Assembly. But we are now banned from saying that – it has to be Welsh Government or Welsh Parliament."
However the articles failed to mention the UK Government's style guide has similar rules.
Both style guides, which are updated every year, advise civil servants not to refer to Her Majesty's government, with both guides reading: "UK government. Never HM government".
The guides also advise staff to use 'non-disabled' rather than 'able-bodied', with the UK Government's guide of inclusive language telling staff to "avoid passive, victim words" and to use language that "respects disabled people as active individuals".
The term 'BAME' is also excluded from the list of terms to use in both style guides. The Welsh Government's guide recommends that staff use the term 'Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic' instead of 'BAME' and any subsequent references could use 'ethnic minority' or 'ethnic minority communities'. The UK Government's style guide refers to The Guardian's guide, which advises staff to use 'black, Asian and minority ethnic; spelled out in full at first mention', to be more specific and to avoid using 'BAME'.
The UK Government's style guide lists the use of 'Senedd Cymru' or 'Welsh Parliament'. The Welsh Government's guide refers to the two organisations as being 'the Welsh Government' and the 'Welsh Parliament' rather than 'Welsh Assembly', which was the old term used for the governing body.
As mentioned in the Daily Express article the Welsh Government guide points out that Brexit "has happened". The UK Government's guide also advises staff to use the term 'Brexit' to "provide historical context" and recommends that it's better to use specific dates where possible, such as " '31 December, 2020' rather than 'Brexit' or 'when the UK left the EU' ".
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