Cliches in news copy

Paul McLeary over at CJRDaily laments their appearance in news stories, specifically "15 minutes of fame" and "perfect storm." There's an old J school saw, "Avoid cliches like the plague." And it reminded us that apparently the fine folks at KFSM news skipped class that day. Because a few months ago, as the Base Realignment and Closure Commission prepared to release its recommendations, Channel 5 reported -- honest, we heard it twice -- that officials at the Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith were "sitting on pins and needles with their fingers crossed."