Fox News reports news fulsomely, says Lachlan Murdoch

 Languages, like markets, are human artifacts, although we don't always think of them that way.  And so language can also suffer from coordination failure, when words that mean one thing sound like they mean another, and so over time may be used to mean multiple things, leading to confusion about what is being said.

This is the case with the word "fulsome," which sounds like "full," so that reporting news "fulsomely" might sound to some like reporting it "fully."  (I'll have the dictionary definition at the bottom of this post.)

Here's a story in the Guardian which quotes one of the wealthy owner/managers of Fox Corporation on how Fox news covers the news:

Tucker Carlson firestorm over Trump texts threatens to engulf Fox News.   by Edward Helmore

"So far, Fox is standing by its stars. On Thursday, Lachlan Murdoch, Murdoch’s eldest son, heir apparent and executive chairman and chief executive of Fox Corporation, voiced support for management, its roster of stars and backed Fox New’s editorial standards.

“A news organization has an obligation – and it is an obligation – to report news fulsomely, wholesomely and without fear or favor. That’s what Fox News has always done and that’s what Fox News will always do,” he said.

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And here's the Cambridge Dictionary:

fulsomely

adverb

   formal

US 

 /ˈfʊl.səm.li/ UK 

 /ˈfʊl.səm.li/

 

in a way that expresses a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere:

He thanked her fulsomely for her help.

She praised the team's head coach fulsomely.

See

fulsome

In Mirriam Webster, this meaning is now only conveyed in definitions 2-4:

: aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive

fulsome lies and nauseous flattery—William Congreve

the devil take thee for a … fulsome rogue—George Villiers

3

: exceeding the bounds of good taste : OVERDONE

the fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hall—Lewis Mumford

4

: excessively complimentary or flattering : EFFUSIVE

an admiration whose extent I did not express, lest I be thought fulsome—A. J. Liebling
Webster's first definitioin is perhaps what Mr. Murdoch had in mind:

fulsome

adjective

ful·​some ˈfu̇l-səm 

Synonyms of fulsome

1

a

: characterized by abundance : COPIOUS

describes in fulsome detail—G. N. Shuster

fulsome bird life. The feeder overcrowded—Maxine Kumin

b

: generous in amount, extent, or spirit

the passengers were fulsome in praise of the plane's crew—Don Oliver

a fulsome victory for the far left—Bruce Rothwell

the greetings have been fulsome, the farewells tender—Simon Gray

c

: being full and well developed

she was in generally fulsome, limpid voice—Thor Eckert, Jr.