507 U.S. 410 (1993)
Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc.
Does a city's ban on the distribution of commercial publications through newsracks, while permitting the distribution of traditional newspapers, constitute a violation of the First Amendment as a content-based restriction on speech?
Content-based regulations of speech are subject to strict scrutiny under the First Amendment. The government must demonstrate that such restrictions are necessary to serve a compelling state interest and are narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.
The Supreme Court held that Cincinnati's ordinance violated the First Amendment as an impermissible content-based restriction on speech. The prohibition was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest, as required for content-based regulations.
Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc. is a landmark case in First Amendment jurisprudence that illustrates the high level of protection afforded to free speech, including commercial speech. It emphasizes that even commercial speech is entitled to robust constitutional safeguards against unjustified and discriminatory government restrictions. The decision is integral for understanding how courts scrutinize government measures that selectively target speech based on content and establishes that commercial speech, while less protected than political speech, does not receive inferior protection when a content-based distinction is made.