Letter: No sex, please

Sir: Although most editors say they have issued a directive to their writers to desist from the practice of using false generics, the practice flourishes throughout British newspapers, nowhere more so than on the City pages of intelligent newspapers.

The use of the word 'businessmen' is as irritating to this business reader as a hair in the mouth. American editors started to prune gender bias from their newspapers as long ago as the Seventies, but 20 years later, our newspaper editors are, to a man (sic), happily permitting phraseology which, frankly, is as inaccurate as it is dated.

Few seek the linguistic contortions demanded by the political correctness lobby, but accuracy is a proper objective. I had hoped the Independent would be different from the rest in this respect, but it is not.

Yours sincerely,

YVE M. NEWBOLD

London, SW3

15 February