Breaking news: US anchor says no more Paris Hilton stories Watch the clip Is this the beginning of the Paris Hilton backlash? A US television news anchor has become a YouTube hero by refusing to lead off a news bulletin with the release of the celebrity heiress, ripping up, shredding and even attempting to set fire to her script. The incident happened on MSNBC's Morning Joe programme when co-host Mika Brzezinski refused to read out the Hilton release story at the top of a regular bulletin ahead of news from Iraq and the White House. "No, I hate this story and I don't think it should be our lead," said Ms Brzezinski, whose father is Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former National Security Adviser under Jimmy Carter. After getting away with her refusal the first time, the story came up again as Ms Brzezinski was asked to read it at the top of the next rolling bulletin - after which she took a fellow anchor's cigarette lighter and tried to burn the script. The third time around, she was ready. She took the script straight to the studio shredder and fed it into the machine. The anchor's stand appears to have made her something of a heroine, at least among those Americans who have had enough of the Paris Hilton jail saga. More than 80,000 people have watched a clip of her protest on the YouTube video site, where many left comments congratulating her on her action (and a few others questioned whether her indignation might not have been a bit staged). "I HEART Mika Brzezinski!!!" wrote one viewer, while another said: "This lady has some serious balls and some serious morals. People like her make me proud to be an American." Meanwhile, Ms Hilton, who was freed after serving half of a 45-day sentence for violating her probation after a drink-driving conviction, continued her media make-over by vowing to shed her party girl image. “I’m a good person. I’m a compassionate person. I have a big heart. I’m sincere, and they’ll see,” she told People magazine Hilton in her first interview since getting out of jail in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Appearing later on CNN’s Larry King Live show, the 26-year-old socialite said she felt bad that many of her former fellow inmates would end up back on the streets, and back in trouble, because they lack family or support systems. “I want to help set up a place where these women can get themselves back on their feet ... kind of a transitional home,”, she said.“I know I can make a difference.” Ms Hilton acknowledged that she has enjoyed the Hollywood party scene but said: “It’s not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore... I’ve definitely matured and grown a lot from this experience."
