When politicians threaten to take public notice out of newspapers, it’s dog bites man. But when they make the same threat and explicitly frame it as punishment for negative coverage, it’s man bites dog.

And what happened recently in Phillipsburg, N.J., was definitely man bites dog.

The Town Council in Phillipsburg introduced a proposal last month to move the city’s notices from The Express-Times of Lehigh Valley to other newspapers in nearby towns with lower circulations and different coverage areas.

Here’s how The Express-Times characterized the effort:

Council President Robert Fulper criticized the coverage of Phillipsburg when asked about the resolution, asking why more council activities don’t make headlines and why a reporter doesn’t attend council meetings.

“If The Express-Times does not possess the staff to provide the appropriate coverage to the town of Phillipsburg, why wouldn’t we consider a change?” he said in a text message.

When asked to clarify his reasoning, he denied that it was coverage-based and said to say so would be “spin,” “unprofessional” and “untruthful.”

Fulper’s colleague in the Republican council majority and 2017 running mate, Danielle DeGerolomo, said it is based on news reporting, or a perceived lack of it.

“It seems appropriate to move all our announcements and notifications to a paper capable of keeping up with the progress we are making,” she said in a message on Twitter.

“If other media outlets are willing to cover Phillipsburg, why wouldn’t we try to do provide that all in one place for our community?” she said. 

The Town Council tabled the vote after The Express-Times’ parent company said it will explore its legal options in the matter. The Council is scheduled to meet again this evening.