Corruption affecting the people

Something I have found interesting that has been occurring on CNN lately as breaking, and now occurring news, is the Flint water crisis. Essentially, what is happening is that there is lead contamination in the drinking waters of flint, Michigan. This occurred all the way back in April of 2014 due to aging pipes and is only being reported now as being unsafe. There is supposed to be 0 levels of lead contamination in the body, but however, levels are reading as 6.5. Some babies are experiencing a cease in maturation/growth which is very detrimental. Now, the reason this has just been brought up is because doctors who have been examining a variety of patients have recognized an irregular increase in lead throughout the town. People of the town have even stored some of the water in a water bottle and in a short period of time, the water has turned a murky red color. Nevertheless, the first amendment has been brought up regularly in this case and how it has even effected the people, the idea of it, if you will. There is a scandal occurring that proves that state officials knew about this from near the beginning and have said nothing about it. People are filing class-action lawsuits that delineate how the state officials should've reported this rather than keeping it to themselves. But, by the first amendment it protects the officials' rights not to speak and thats what they essentially CHOSE to do even though it was in the pain of others. This proves that the first amendment can work with some and against others. In the end, it will be investigated over the first amendment and whether or not it applies to withholding information but I just found it interesting if the first amendment even applies to concealing and/or withholding information from the public which in this case the officials will argue.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/05/health/flint-michigan-water-investigation/