Ky. state police tried to control when local news allowed to report - Entrepreneur Generations

Here's another timely story for Sunshine Week, which celebrates government transparency and the role of the news media in keeping the government honest:

A Kentucky State Police spokesperson recently caused a stir when he told two rural news outlets that they needed to wait until the KSP issued press releases before publishing anything about ongoing investigations, Will Wright reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"From this point forward when KSP is working an investigation, you are to wait until OUR (KSP) press release is sent out before putting anything out on social media, radio, and newspaper. No more posting inaccurate information from Sheriff's or anyone else. I don't care to confirm something and then get a release out later. Authority of my supervisors, if this continues, you will be taken off our media distribution list," the spokesperson wrote in an email to the Mountain Advocate and Bell County radio station 106.3 FM WRIL.

Jon Fleischaker, general counsel to the Kentucky Press Association, told the Herald-Leader the order violates the First Amendment, and that state agencies cannot withhold information "just because they don’t like what the media outlet is writing," Wright reports.

KSP Captain Ryan Catron said the police do not plan to withhold information from the Advocate or WRIL, and that the email was meant to encourage news organizations to wait for accurate information before publishing stories.

Mountain Advocate Editor Charles Myrick said in a story that that the paper has a strong relationship with KSP and that while he appreciates the sacrifices law enforcement officers make to keep people safe, "Part of keeping the public safe is an open forum of communication, and that’s what we do. An attempt to silence the media is not only a breach of the First Amendment, but a slap in the face of any effort to keep our public safe."

from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2GwUyj1 Ky. state police tried to control when local news allowed to report - Entrepreneur Generations

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