Libya now in civil war, according to the AP

Reporters have used various terms to describe the ongoing skirmishes between rebels and government forces in Libya these past three months--conflict, turmoil, strife, violent unrest, etc. But one of the more delicate phrasings just got green-lit by the one of world's most influential news organizations.

"In early March, we issued guidance that we should not refer to the conflict in Libya flat-out as a 'civil war,' " wrote Tom Kent, the AP's deputy managing editor for standards, in a staff memo obtained by the Huffington Post. "We're changing that guidance now. It is a civil war. We avoided the term initially because of the short duration of the conflict. But it has gone on now at length, and shows no sign of ending."

Other news outlets (including the blog you are reading), have referred to the fighting as a "civil war" in their reports. But the AP appears to be the first news service to upgrade its official characterization, which, as HuffPo notes, can go a long way in shaping public opinion.

(Hassan Ammar/AP)