INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says he regrets the “confusion” caused by a memo about a planned state-run news website and will kill the project if it doesn't “respect the role of a free and independent press.”

Pence told WIBC Wednesday that a memo describing the “Just IN” site as a news outlet with an editor and editorial board was “poorly crafted” and did not meet his expectations.

He says the site's purpose is to better organize news releases from state agencies.

The Indianapolis Star reported Monday that the site would feature stories written by state press secretaries for the public and the media and would break news on occasion.

That sparked criticism from journalists around the country, with some comparing the endeavor to state-run media in Russia and China.