A small-town paper takes on a big constitutional battle
Imagine publishing the only newspaper in your county that qualifies under state law to carry legal notices — the lifeblood of many local outlets — only to have county commissioners strip them away because they didn’t like what you wrote. That’s precisely what happened in Pender County, North Carolina, where the Post and Voice and its publisher, Andy Pettigrew, now find themselves at the center of a federal lawsuit that could shape press freedom far beyond this coastal community.
“This wasn’t just about our paper,” Pettigrew said. “It was about whether a local government can punish a newspaper for doing its job — holding the powerful accountable.”
The Pender-Topsail Post & Voice has served Pender County for decades. Pettigrew, who purchased the paper with his wife in 2013, publishes 5,000 copies weekly. The paper absorbed two other local publications back in 2012, cementing its role as the county’s primary source of independent reporting. “We’re a fast-growing county,” Pettigrew explained. “We depend a lot on legal advertising like any small newspaper would. When this happened to us, it was quite a blow.”
Speaking out sparks retaliation
The trouble began when county leaders decided to take control of emergency services — a function long handled successfully by a nonprofit. Pettigrew stated that the process was rushed and conducted in closed-door sessions, providing no opportunity for public input.
“I didn’t have a problem with the county operating EMS and fire,” Pettigrew said. “I had a problem with how they were doing it. It wasn’t above board, and the people of Pender County had no say in the matter.”
The Post and Voice began running editorials critical of the process, including a series of pointed editorial cartoons. “That seemed to just set them off,” Pettigrew recalled. “Our readers absolutely loved the cartoons. They became a vehicle for people to get engaged in politics. But the commissioners couldn’t handle it.”
Not long after, the county pulled its legal advertising from the paper, despite state law requiring those notices to appear in a local publication accepted by the clerk of court. “These commissioners did this with the full knowledge of what they were doing, and they did it anyway,” Pettigrew said. “They knew there was only one paper that was published in Pender County.”
A new column and a new fight
At the heart of the clash was Pettigrew’s opinion column, “Watchmen on the Wall.” After 18 years as editor, he said he felt compelled to give readers insight into what was happening behind the scenes.
“People need to know what’s going on and why,” he explained. “This column is my way of pulling the curtain back and interpreting what’s actually happening. It’s clearly labeled as opinion, and it has caused them a lot of heartburn.”
For Pettigrew, the column became a necessity. “We used to have a good open relationship with our county government,” he said. “But that ended. It became very closed, with a lack of transparency. Honestly, I liked it the way it was before — smooth and easy. But once the government started shutting out the public, people needed to know. That’s why I started writing it.”
The response from readers has been overwhelming. “It’s opened a lot of eyes among our residents,” Pettigrew said. “Our job is to inform them, even if it isn’t easy.”
Taking the fight to federal court
In June, Pettigrew filed suit in federal court in Wilmington, backed by attorneys from the North Carolina Press Association. “We feel very confident,” he said. “We have the best media law attorneys in the state, and they told us this is a very, very strong case.”
The county struggled to find representation. “They had difficulty getting an attorney to take the case — for obvious reasons,” Pettigrew noted. “But they finally did, and now we’re waiting for their response.”
The lawsuit could be resolved as much by politics as by the courts. “We’ve got an election coming up in May,” Pettigrew said. “Around here, the primary decides things because most run unopposed. If this drags out that long, we may have a whole new set of commissioners who settle it rather than keep fighting.”
For Pettigrew, the commissioners’ actions have already backfired. “We are stronger than we’ve been in years because of this,” he said. “One commissioner in particular has just raged against us, waving our newspaper around in meetings. He’s made a fool of himself, and the public can see it.”
Photograph of Commissioner Groves holding a copy of The Post & Voice during the 22 April 2025 Pender County Board of Commissioners meeting saying “This is what we as three county commissioners have to put up with. The citizens’ money are [sic] paying for this, and it’s time for it to stop.”
ACCESS ACTUAL OP-ED PAGE IN PHOTO
Financial pain, but community support
The retaliation has not been without cost. “I won’t lie — it hurt us financially,” Pettigrew admitted. “I’ve got a daughter in college. Losing that revenue made things tough.”
But the loss also galvanized the community. “People rallied behind us,” Pettigrew said. “We picked up new subscriptions and advertisers. That wasn’t why we did it, but it showed that people understood what was happening. They didn’t want us to be bullied into silence.”
Even so, Pettigrew acknowledges the personal and business toll. “It was easier before,” he said. “We had a good relationship with the county. But at the end of the day, we’re not here to be a cheerleader for government. We’re here to be a watchdog for our readers.”
Advice for other publishers
Pettigrew knows his situation resonates far beyond Pender County. Local publishers across the country face the same dilemma: whether to take a stand and risk retaliation or keep quiet to protect their bottom line.
“We have to decide why we're in this business,” he said. “We’re not here to rubber-stamp what the government does. We’re here to interpret what’s happening for those who don’t watch the meetings. They need someone to tell them what’s going on.”
The consequences, he admitted, can be daunting. “I never dreamed we’d be in this situation, given the good relationship we used to have with our county. But we’ve scaled back where necessary and kept going. And we’ve gained readers and support along the way. That’s the side of the ball I’d rather be on.”
Pettigrew's advice to fellow publishers is straightforward but firm: “Don’t be bullied into submission. Decide what your mission is, and stick to it. There may be consequences, but there’s also strength that comes from standing with your community.”
A broader message about press freedom
Pettigrew’s story has already garnered national attention, with media law experts highlighting the potentially dangerous precedent of governments weaponizing advertising dollars. Press advocates across the country are closely watching his case.
“This is about more than one small-town weekly,” Pettigrew said. “If local governments think they can silence a paper by pulling their ads, then every independent newsroom in America is at risk."
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