This reminds me of reporting in the UK. UK libel law is notoriously loose and favors the plaintiff overwhelmingly, so you can get yourself in heaps of trouble by saying anything negative about anyone, true or not. So journalists use code-phrases; for example &quot;a man about town&quot; may mean a philanderer, &quot;a fulsome spirit&quot; may mean an alcoholic, &quot;an engaging storyteller&quot; may mean a pathological liar, etc.