Brentwood City Council warned against adopting ‘unconstitutional’ requirements for local media [Video]

BRENTWOOD — The City Council here on Tuesday evening decided they’d like more time to talk about requiring that local media adhere to a specific ethics code in order to receive advertising or press releases.

The decision followed a debate about the First Amendment and how councilmembers have been portrayed in the media, and came after a prominent free speech organization warned them of potential legal consequences.

The agenda item discussed Tuesday evening involved a blueprint toward “requiring media outlets with which the City spends money on advertising, or that distribute City press releases, be held to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.” But a letter authored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the First Amendment Coalition says they’d violate the Constitution by doing so.

“We are writing to let you know that your idea for discriminating against news outlets is unconstitutional, no matter how well intentioned …