Mississippi Richter orders newspaper to remove editorial - outrage increases

Mississippi Richter orders newspaper to remove editorial - outrage increases

A judge in Mississippi has ordered that a newspaper had to remove a comment that criticized the mayor and the city guide. This was done after the officials had complained, which led to complaints from press protectors who claim that it violates the first constitutional addiction.

background of the case

Chancer-Richterin Crystal Wise Martin issued an injunction against the Clarksdale Press Register in connection with a comment from February 8, entitled "Intalterations and deception undermining public trust". The article criticized the city for not informing the newspaper about a session of the city parliament in which a planned tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco was discussed.

reactions to the decision

"It is dangerous that a judge issues an injunction without hearing," said Wyatt Emmerich, President of the parent company of the newspaper, Emmerich Newspapers. "We will proceed and see where it leads." The city's lawsuit described the comment as defamatory and claimed that he had "cooled and disabled" the efforts of the city to promote the tax for the tax.

availability of the editorial

The comment was no longer available on the newspaper website until Wednesday afternoon. Martin started a hearing in the case of February 27th.

statements by the mayor

Mayor Chuck Espy said that the comment unfairly implied that the city had violated the law with its meeting. He referred to another passage who asked: "Did the commissioners or the mayor receive bribes from the community?"

"We are in favor of doing the press. We support as much transparency as possible," he said. "Just say the truth. I don't think that's too much."

reactions of the press defender

Clarksdale is about 71 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The decision caused symptoms of press representatives in Mississippi and nationwide. "This is an amazing order that we find serious and frosty," said Layne Bruce, Managing Director of Mississippi Press Association. "It clearly violates the first constitutional addition, and we fully support the right of the press register to report and to make comments on the business of the city administration of Clarksdale."

Lisa Zycherman, Vice President of Legal Programs at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said that the decision "represents censorship and is undoubtedly a serious violation of the first constitutional addition."

past similar incidents

In recent years there have been further attempts to silence news organizations. In 2023, a police authority in Kansas searched the office of a newspaper as well as the home of its owner and editor after she claimed that the newspaper and a reporter could have committed identity theft and other computer crimes to obtain and verify information about the driving license of a local business owner.

The search was later examined, and the former police chief, who headed it, was charged last year due to disability of the judiciary.