Fullerton council faces backlash over move to remove nongovernmental publications; mayor moves to rescind

Fullerton — Student journalists, local media advisers and residents urged the Fullerton City Council on April 15 to reverse a recently adopted resolution that moved nongovernmental publications out of public areas in City Hall and to the back of the public library.

Emily Wilson, who identified herself as editor in chief of the Daily Titan at California State University, Fullerton, said the policy "signals to me that the city council does not care about the Daily Titan or community journalism and only intends to silence criticism." Frank Russell, a journalism instructor and adviser to the student newsroom, asked the council to bring the policy back for reconsideration so students can maintain a visible presence covering community affairs.

The public comments prompted councilmember discussion and a procedural move by the mayor. Mayor Zhang said he had learned that copies of the Daily Titan had been relocated to the library and questioned why a private business still had advertising in the city hall lobby despite the new rule. He moved to rescind the resolution and asked that the item be agendized for the council’s first May meeting; Councilmember Zara seconded the request. The motion to agendize rescission was not voted on tonight because the item is not on the agenda this evening.

City Attorney said the council has legal authority to designate certain government spaces as nonpublic forums so long as any restriction is framed as a time, place and manner rule rather than a content‑based ban. The attorney told the council staff had studied language from Irvine and Newport Beach as drafting guides and noted those jurisdictions’ litigation histories; he said staff would include the existing resolution text and any amended language when the council reconsiders the matter.

Councilmember Zara, citing follow‑up reporting and research, questioned staff’s comparison to other cities and warned the council’s action could "encroach on First Amendment rights." Multiple residents and callers across the public comment period urged the council to restore easy public access to local papers, arguing many community members rely on print copies and that moving them to a less accessible location limits civic information.

The council did not take a final vote on the policy at the April 15 meeting. Mayor Zhang’s motion to bring the rescission back to the May meeting sets the next procedural step; staff and the city attorney said they will provide the existing resolution text and any implementation details (for example, whether advertisements are treated differently) when the item returns to the dais.

The discussion also included related transparency questions: councilmembers requested clearer documentation about the resolution text the council approved at the prior meeting and asked staff to explain how the policy would be implemented operationally (for example, who decides rack locations inside the library and city hall).