It's all moot now, because Terry Jones, the Florida preacher, has canceled his plan, fortunately. So now all the nets will have to find something else to cover on Saturday--maybe, like, solemn memorials to those who were killed on 9-11, and to the brave troops who have died since in the War on Terror.
But Fox stood up and said "no" when it mattered--when Jones' decision was still hanging in the air. Who knows, maybe Fox's decision helped prompt Jones not to do it.
In which case, Clemente & Co. will be genuine heroes--not just to news-watching Americans, but to all Americans, whether or not they even own a TV. Because all Americans are safer, now that this crisis has been averted. And what made it a crisis? The media coverage.
Needless to say, Fox won't get any credit for this gutsy bit of counter-programming and news judgment. No doubt Keith Olbermann and all the rest will be bashing Fox as usual tonight, but if they are in NYC, or anywhere in America, they are safer because of what Fox did. We all are.
