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By Staff reports
Gaston County government announced it plans to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against
The Gazette, and that the county s attorney said he has been tasked with finding an alternative paper of record for the required legal notice advertising the county does with the newspaper.
County leaders threatened to shift $70,000-$100,000 annually away from
The Gazette, a move that some experts said might be unconstitutional.
Michael Grygiel, an attorney representing the newspaper, called the plede to dismiss the lawsuit a win for freedom of the press. We are pleased the county apparently recognized the First Amendment imposes a zero-tolerance limit for defamation lawsuits brought by governmental bodies based on news reports critical of their official actions, Grygiel said Friday.