US:A US television news presenter refused to lead her bulletin with the latest Paris Hilton story, then shredded and attempted to set fire to the script on air.
Mika Brzezinski, co-presenter of MSNBC's Morning Joe programme, refused to read out the story of the celebrity socialite's release from jail ahead of items on Iraq and developments at the White House.
A clip showing the presenter's stand has been viewed more than 250,000 times on the popular video website YouTube.
It shows Ms Brzezinski repeatedly refusing to read the Hilton script and arguing with her co-presenters about its place as the lead item. She told viewers: "I hate it and I don't think it should be our lead.
"I just don't believe in covering that story, at least not as the lead story on the newscast, when we have a day like today."
Ms Brzezinski, whose father is Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former national security adviser under Jimmy Carter, first screwed up the script and refused to read it. Then, on the next bulletin, she refused to read it again, took a co-presenter's cigarette lighter and tried to burn the script.
Later, she refused to read the script for a third time and took it straight to the shredder in the studio. When producers played images of Hilton leaving jail, where she served her sentence for a probation violation after her drink-driving conviction, Ms Brzezinski was shown with her head in her hands as the cameras returned to the studio.
The YouTube video attracted hundreds of comments on the website.
"Mika, you're the best!!!" wrote one viewer, and another said: "Someone should give her a medal."
Another said: "This lady has some serious balls and some serious morals. People like her make me proud to be an American."
Others questioned whether the entire incident was scripted. - (PA)