The first page of a newspaper, often broken out into sections (B front, C front and so on). It ideally contains the biggest news stories of the day in the country it’s being circulated in. However, if something really significant happens elsewhere in the world, that can sometimes find space on the front-page too. Typically, the front-page also teases other interesting stories inside the edition.
The term was popularized in the media in the mid-2000s when an incident involving the British cricket team at the time prompted the headline “front-page news” in a number of publications. The phrase has since become part of the language.
In 2014, three Jane Does alleged they were sex trafficked as minors and that their sex traffickers used Backpage to post ads offering them for sexual services. They sued Backpage, alleging the website substantially contributed to sex trafficking through its business and editorial practices and the design of the website itself. The district court ruled against the Jane Does, but they appealed to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The court ruled that although Backpage did change the ads connected to the Jane Does, this only amounted to a traditional publisher function and thus remained protected under CDA Section 230.
In August 2013, New Jersey passed a law similar to Washington state and Tennessee’s laws, which attempted to legislate Backpage out of existence. However, a federal judge enjoined the New Jersey statute, finding it preempted by Section 230 and in violation of the First Amendment and Commerce Clause.