The problem with working as a reporter on a paper is often advertisers.

Anyone who's listened to me bitching about having to write four Christmas features a week (since the beginning of October) to fill ad features which people aren't buying know that sometimes writers get sucked into doing stuff because it's advertising driven. Plus if you listen to our ad department people mainly buy the paper to see the property listing / buy a used car / see who's died rather than reading any, you know, *news*.

And of course that's before you factor in any kind of editorial line that might piss of your advertisers or readers. Now the editorial team of Crawford, Texas, the niftily titled 'The Loan Star Iconoclast' have an even bigger problem. It's the home town of Bush, but the editorial line has been decided and they've come out in support of Kerry because they say his policies will do more to help the people of the community.

No probs eh? It's America, land of the first amendment, freedom of speech, up there even before the right to carry guns until they're prised from cold dead hands.

Uh uh. Not in the Republican heartland. The shops and population of Bush's home town have refused to sell or buy the local paper. Advertisers are dropping out and in the middle of it the editorial team is standing firm.

So, after a fit of decluttering ebaying (and the appearance of a nice hefty paypal balance) I have sent the lovely people of the Iconoclast the princely sum of £12 - a six month international subscription to the paper. I think their stance, and response to the whole brouhaha that has followed shows that despite the bad reputation us hacks have as a whole among the world at large (thanks mainly to soaps which show us as money grubbing fedora wearing types gorramit!) there are still people who'll stand up for freedom of speech no matter what. We're all constantly being compared with the hacks of lore who will do anything to sell papers and have no interest in truth or integrity - but these guys are doing their bit to buck the trend.

And let's face it, who doesn't want to know the results of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo? It's an ideal Christmas gift for the person who has everything... ;)

Now I promise I'll stop posting about the American elections like the politics geek I am. Well, maybe I will after a week on Tuesday ;)