• by Ray Schultz , April 16, 2025

A California city has banned newspapers and other non-governmental content from placement in its City Hall.  

The Fullerton City Council approved this policy by a 4-1 vote, according to the Orange County Register.  

The City Council argued that this was not a move in violation of the First Amendment but simply a measure on the use of city facilities.

But Councilman Ahmad Zahra, who cast the single “nay” vote, argued that this measure does step on press freedom. 

“We have two publications in our city that have been producing news and covering the city for the last several decades,” Zahra said, according to the Register. “One of them is the Fullerton Observer, and the other one is the Daily Titan. The end result is pushing those two out.” 

Presumably, this could also have an advertising impact, although it is not clear how many newspapers were placed in the City Hall.