Recycle newsprint, not news

Nothing too surprising about the No. 3 story at Fox on today's afternoon sweep.

Indeed, it's so unsurprising that --- hey, haven't we seen this before? Shazam! There it is in the No. 2 spot on the front page, from around noon on Nov. 29.

Surely there's been some sort of new development in the all-important case of Geert Wilders* vs. the Quranic menace since then? No, as the time stamp on today's story rather clearly indicates, it's from, er, Nov. 29. (Dear Fox editors: If you don't want people to wonder about your news judgment, don't leave "said Wednesday" in the ledes of articles that appear on Tuesdays.) Meaning, inter alia, that any of the really news-driven questions stemming from the initial report -- is he done making his film yet? has he secured the alleged air time for it? -- remain unanswered.

What's the news value of slapping a story on the front page two weeks after you first ran it? Just to remind you that Your Vote Counts in the upcoming electoral season. And if you spend it in the wrong place, the War On Terror® is goingto come right after you and your family!

* Among his other proposals: Jail for women who wear the burka. Wonder how he'd poll in South Carolina.