After a wave of criticism and ridicule, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) appeared walk back his plans for a state-run news site to compete with the local media. He plans to hold a news conference to address the matter on Wednesday.
“Reports that this was intended to be a news agency, I think just represent an understandable misunderstanding based on some internal communications that I read about in the press,” Pence said in a news release Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Despite documents obtained by the Star revealing plans for press secretaries to write original stories under the direction of an “editorial board,” Pence now reportedly described the plan as nothing more than an archive of press releases.
“My understanding is that the website that has become a source of controversy was simply to have a one-stop-shopping website for press releases and information,” Pence said, according to the Star. “It’s meant to be a resource, not a news source, and we’ll be clarifying that in the days ahead.”
The site, called “Just IN,” would enjoy an editorial board made up of the governor’s communications staff, with a former Star reporter as “managing editor,” according to the documents obtained by the Star.
“At times, Just IN will break news —publishing information ahead of any other news outlet,” read a question and answer sheet that went out to communications directors for state agencies.
The governor took a substantial amount of mockery from the left and right when reports of the news site first broke.