Pikeville, Kentucky – Local media outlets are speaking out after they received emails from a state police spokesperson demanding that they wait for a press release from the police department before publishing stories about ongoing investigations, which implies that the outlets are prohibited from using a narrative that is different from the one chosen by police.

The Mountain Advocate newspaper and a Bell County radio station received an email from Kentucky State Police spokesman Shane Jacobs, in which he started out by writing that he personally has "a great working relationship with the media," but that all of the inquiries he receives from media contacts take time away from his personal life and add to his apparently busy schedule.

"Good afternoon, I would like to start out by saying that I feel I have a great working relationship with the media in our area. I work many hours and sometimes on my days off to relay information to the media outlets. I want you guys to know I do have a personal life and sometimes I can't respond to your e-mails as quick as you would like. I am out of town at times spending it with my family. I have trainings, State Fair Trooper Island, and other events I have to attend which causes me to be out of town also." 

Jacobs then demanded that the media outlets wait until an official press release is sent to them before including any details of an ongoing investigation in published stories, social media posts, or on the radio. He claimed the goal was to keep from spreading "inaccurate information from Sheriff's or anyone else," and threatened that if the media outlets did not follow his demands, they would be removed from his distribution list.