The use of slightly archaic senses of a word, as long as the meaning is clear, is one thing that I particularly enjoy encountering. Please let’s NOT encourage news editors to edit the English language down to the least common denominator! When we encounter an unusual, but clear, use of a word, it teaches us more about our language.

That’s one reason I love reading the Economist and the Atlantic. The editors assume their readers can read at a college level, and edit their reporters’ rhetorical flourishes accordingly. I’ve read those magazines since high school, and they’ve taught me a lot about the language, particularly how it can charm as well as inform. It’s also why I often avoid local newspapers, because they’re too often apparently intended for 8th graders.

I like your question as it shows you know what the word means (or looked it up yourself) but question it’s usage. Your question is a good one since this usage is relatively rare but, I believe, proper.

this is natural ..