The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that Congress shall make no law abridging (curtailing) the freedom of the press. Thus, freedom of the press prohibits censorship by the government in the reporting of news and the publication of opinions.
In Mississippi, as in all states, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of the press. This means that the government, including state and local authorities, cannot censor or restrict the media's ability to report news or publish opinions. Mississippi's state statutes and the decisions of its courts must comply with this constitutional protection. However, this freedom is not absolute; there are legal limits, such as laws against libel, slander, and certain types of content that may incite violence or are considered obscene. Nonetheless, these restrictions are narrowly tailored to ensure that they do not infringe upon the core values of a free and independent press as envisioned by the First Amendment.