Last week, a woman in Great Falls, Montana was charged with aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon. She broke into her ex boyfriends house and held a machete to his neck and face and raped him.

But you won't see the word "rape" in any article about this crime.

As this story from a small Montana city broke into national attention, articles from the NY Post, People, and the Washington Post described Samantha Ray Mears's actions in a softer tone, stating that she forced her ex to have sex with her. While this is still strong wording, it diminishes the severity of the act - rape. Call it what it is.

Is the wording of "forced to have sex" instead of "rape" necessary? No, it is a softening of the crime of sexual assault and is leading to toxic beliefs in the minds of many.

This nationwide softening of sexual assault is only helping to further the widespread belief that men cannot be sexually assaulted - a falsehood that leads men to hide their assaults out of fear of being shamed. Earlier this week, actor Terry Crews opened up about his sexual assault in a Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting on the Sexual Assault Survivor's Bill of Rights and was mocked by rapper 50 Cent, who later claimed people were too sensitive when faced with backlash. Male survivors of sexual assault rarely come forward, afraid of the same treatment Crews received.

It is toxic and irresponsible to publish stories about male sexual assault in a way that diminishes the fact that they were raped. With sexual assault and harassment constantly making headlines under the #MeToo movement, news outlets need to report stories factually and justly. If the genders had been reversed in the crime in Great Falls headlines would be screaming rape and sexual assault. A man doesn't "force" a woman to have sex with him - he rapes her. Why is it not the same if a woman commits the crime? Why are male victims treated less seriously?

When news outlets use softer terms it only helps to normalize the crimes and behaviors and make us less sensitive to horrific stories of abuse, assault, and rape. Or, in the case of Samantha Ray Mears, it becomes almost a joke - laughing face emojis when the article is shared on Facebook, jokes in the comments at the expense of the victim, people asking how men can be forced into sex. If the article had been published with a title of "Woman Rapes Man, Threatens with Machete" perhaps people would take it more seriously. Maybe not.

Of course, in journalism you need an article title that will grab attention. But you also owe your readers the truth; not sugar coated, not lengthy, not confusing. You need to report crimes for what they are. Murder isn't reported as "forcibly ended his life", rape should not be reported as "forced to have sex".

Samantha Ray Mears, and everyone who commits a sexual crime, needs to be known as a rapist, a criminal. Not a joke, not a lengthy description of the crime, a rapist. And news outlets need to report crimes in the same way - honest and to the point.

So, to the New York Post, the Washington Post, People, and every other news outlet reporting this story: stop softening crimes. Rape is rape. Forcing someone to have sex with you is rape. You owe it to your readers and to the country to be clear and concise.