An American news anchor has won worldwide praise for ripping up a story about Paris Hilton and trying to burn it, live on air.

The clip of Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, repeatedly refusing to run the story immediately became a YouTube phenomenon.

The controversy began when Brzezinski, the 40-year-old daughter of Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former national security adviser to President Carter, refused to read the story about Ms Hilton’s release from jail before items about Iraq and the White House. “I hate this story and I don’t think it should be our lead,” she said.

After crunching up the script into a ball, she was handed a new script. This time she tried to burn it with a cigarette lighter. On the third attempt Ms Brzezinski took the script to the newsroom’s shredder, where she destroyed it.

Some viewers wondered if the protest was staged in an effort to increase ratings, but the response from YouTube viewers was overwhelmingly positive. “People like her make me proud to be an American,” one supporter wrote.

Ms Hilton has dominated the news since being convicted of driving when her licence was suspended. The hotels heiress was released from jail on Tuesday and gave her first interview to the CNN show Larry King Live. The 26-year-old socialite said that she wanted to help her fellow inmates. “I want to help set up a place where these women can get themselves back on their feet. I know I can make a difference.”

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