The front page is the first and most visible page of a newspaper or magazine. It teases other interesting stories inside the edition. It usually contains important or interesting news, such as a scoop.
A person or company who is the subject of a front-page article, or is mentioned on the front page, often gets a lot of attention and publicity. This can have positive or negative effects, depending on the topic.
During the summer of 2014 Backpage’s adult services sections became the focus of an investigation by federal agencies including the FBI and ICE over allegations that it facilitated prostitution and human trafficking, especially involving minors, and took steps to obfuscate these activities. The company’s CEO pleaded guilty to these charges. Three anonymous Jane Does who were sex trafficked as minors sued Backpage in federal court claiming that their traffickers used the site to advertise for sex with them. The lawsuit alleged that Backpage facilitated these crimes by a variety of actions, including its business and editorial practices, the design of its website, and how it handled user-submitted content such as ads for prostitution and other illegal activities.
The complaint was successful, with a federal judge enjoining the state of New Jersey’s law, finding that it violates CDA Section 230, the First Amendment, and the Commerce Clause. This was the third time a federal judge had struck down state laws that attempted to legislate Backpage out of existence.