Facebook temporarily suspended the SuperTalk Mississippi News page on Tuesday following a post they shared regarding the Governor’s announcement of expanded COVID vaccine appointments.
Below is what was shared on the Facebook page:
Morning show host Paul Gallo used his Twitter to call attention to the action by Facebook, tagging Governor Tate Reeves, Congressman Steven Palazzo and the state’s two U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith.
@SenatorWicker @cindyhydesmith @CongPalazzo @tatereeves Breaking! SuperTalk Facebook has been pulled for the reasons attached. Seems we committed a violation for sharing a story from the Governor’s office pertaining to expanded vaccines available for appointments. pic.twitter.com/xIG2NYuJLF
— Paul Gallo (@paulgalloshow) February 2, 2021
Governor Reeves stepped in, demanding Facebook fix the suspension.
“Unbelievable!” Reeves tweeted. “Please fix quickly, @Facebook. Local news outlets like @SuperTalk are essential, and they should not be punished by big tech companies for simply sharing important vaccine information!”
Unbelievable! Please fix quickly, @Facebook. Local news outlets like @SuperTalk are essential, and they should not be punished by big tech companies for simply sharing important vaccine information! https://t.co/XKSAN1YNxk
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 2, 2021
Attorney General Lynn Fitch also urged the social media giant to publish the SuperTalk News page.
According to SuperTalk, thanks to Reeves and Fitch’s pressures, hours later the Facebook page was restored with a note saying:
“After reviewing your appeal, your Page SuperTalk Mississippi News has been published. This means it can now be viewed publicly.
The Facebook Team”
Update: After pressure from Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves & Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Facebook has restored SuperTalk Mississippi News' Facebook page. https://t.co/b4TpSLhKIr
— SuperTalk News (@SuperTalkNews) February 2, 2021
Various officials tweeted their dislike of the action by Facebook, some of which can be seen below:
This censorship from big tech is simply outrageous and must end. @Facebook should immediately fix this issue. @supertalk provides important information to Mississippians and is being punished for providing up-to-date information on vaccination expansion. https://t.co/UQpMNJpRfr
— Cindy Hyde-Smith (@cindyhydesmith) February 2, 2021
Big Tech is an elite, unelected, and unchecked group that should not have the power to silence and erase anyone. We don’t lose our First Amendment rights just because the town square has moved online. https://t.co/sZf0zTORnf
— Lynn Fitch (@LynnFitchAG) February 2, 2021
Not all found the action by Facebook troublesome. Mississippi Today’s Editor-in-Chief Adam Ganucheau thought it was funny, which is not surprising given the outlet’s political bent.
— Adam Ganucheau (@GanucheauAdam) February 2, 2021
Frank Corder
