West Virginia Bans Censorship in Advertising

0:00On April 6, West Virginia, Governor Patrick Morrissey just signed the First Amendment Preservation Act into law. This bill stops state agencies from working with advertising companies that use media blacklists or ideological rating systems. It means no more taxpayer money flowing through firms that blacklists outlets based on politics. This comes amid a bigger national fight against censorship in advertising. Things like news guard and the global disinformation index have been rating news sites, often hitting conservative ones harder. Critics say these ratings steer add dollars away from certain voices, starving them out. Folks at the Independent Media Council are cheering it on. They represent outlets reaching over 70 million Americans and argue these monitors act like gatekeepers with biased scores. Studies show they rate left-leaning sites higher and even give breaks to foreign-state media over U.S. conservatives. Meanwhile, other places are jumping in. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed a similar law last year and federal rules in the National

1:02Defense Authorization Act blocked the Pentagon from. Using these systems for recruitment ads, legal experts warn it protects free speech from government-backed suppression. West Virginia's move sets a strong example, pushing more states to follow and level the ad playing field. It keeps public messages reaching everyone, from rural towns to outdoor crowds, without ideological filters cutting them off. From across the country, powered by AI, this is U.S. News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.