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.
***********
And here's the Cambridge Dictionary:
Webster's first definitioin is perhaps what Mr. Murdoch had in mind:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment