As we watch the nation's media industry wailing that the Associated Press has been excluded from Oval Office pressers and can no longer log frequent flyer miles on Air Force One, the claims of First Amendment violations fall flat. But as has been exposed, this is all performative hysterics from the press. For instance, we heard no such reaction when Joe Biden banned the New York Post in identical fashion.

Meanwhile, we are hearing very little about a case of unacceptable censorship taking place in Mississippi – right now.

In the city of Clarksdale, the local newspaper, the Press Register, has been ordered by a judge to take down an editorial that ran on February 18. As bad as this already sounds, the offensiveness spikes when you see the filing was sought and obtained by the local government. 

Wow: The City of Clarksdale, Mississippi, got a court order yesterday directing a newspaper to delete an editorial criticizing city officials -- without a hearing. Here's the TRO issuing the prior restraint: pic.twitter.com/dIL1AgLhI1

— Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) February 19, 2025

The particulars make this all the more unacceptable. The mayor called a special commission meeting regarding the creation of a sin tax in order to boost revenue to help pay for more police services. All well and good, except there was a lax public notice and local media was not alerted to this public meeting. The editorial took exception to this development, and basically delivered what was a series of questions being raised as a result of this lack of notification.

However, the city officials filed suit, and the judge issued a temporary restraining order on the paper, requiring that it take down the editorial. The newspaper complied, and that web address now returns a "404 page not found" screen. But as the city officials are overstepping their position, and the law, we are more than happy to post the archived editorial.

The Clarksdale Press Register CENSORED Editorial

Beyond opinion and the asking of questions, there is little to be seen that could be deemed slanderous content. It is almost unthinkable to consider a government office going after a press outlet in this fashion, and it defies legal sense to have this TRO levied in such quick fashion while the evidence is lacking and without so much as a formal hearing. Then, there are two other details that only add to the problematic optics of this harsh move.

In one of the court documents, it is revealed that the city clerk actually admits that an official media notification regarding this special meeting had not actually been sent out to the press. But on top of this, the curious aspect of this entire ruling is that Judge Crystal Martin of the Hinds County Chancery Court (5th District) issued the TRO. 

Clarksdale resides inside Coahoma County, which would be covered by the Chancery Court of Coahoma County in the 7th District. Now, it needs to be asked why this city matter would lead to a filing taking place at least three counties south of Clarksdale. Are we looking at a case of shopping for a favorable judge to get this rapid order issued?

This is a severe case of censorship that meets all of the hallmarks of that definition. A local government is suing to silence a news outlet, a court seems to be acting with disregard for common practice, and it is being done to shield the operations of the mayor and the city council regarding public funds and raising taxes.

More than a case of a national outlet like the AP not being allowed to sit at the Cool Kids table, this is a blatant case of government censorship of a newspaper. The lack of wailing from the major news outlets is quite revealing. If it does not involve President Trump, then it is not considered important enough.