Back in the old days reporters and editors tried to eliminate excess words from news articles to make them as short as possible. That’s why it is interesting to see the Washington Post go the other way. In an article assessing the presidential race it told readers:

“Clinton performed poorly against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in Democratic primaries in this part of the country — partly because of her past support for free-trade agreements and partly because Sanders’s promises to focus on economic issues and income inequality resonated with voters.’

Of course, these were not actually “free-trade” deals. They didn’t free trade in many areas, like physicians and dentists’ services. And, they increased protectionism in some areas, making patents and copyrights stronger and longer. Therefore, it is inaccurate to describe deals like NAFTA, CAFTA, or the Trans-Pacific Partnership as “free-trade” agreements. And, it adds an unnecessary word.