Section 240-RICR-20-00-2.4 - Staff or Employee Contact with the MediaA. Unless the Director designates otherwise, only the Director or the Chief of Information and Public Relations provides official information to the media regarding staff, the inmate population, or Departmental activities and programs. No employee is authorized to make statements to the media which jeopardize the security of Departmental operations.B. Confidential and privileged information (the disclosure of which would violate federal or state confidentiality laws, endanger facility security, or constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy) is not disclosed to the media, the public, or other agencies.C. All RIDOC personnel and all persons under contract for services to RIDOC channel all information requests through the Director's Office via the Chief of Information and Public Relations. Employees are encouraged to cooperate with appropriate media requests when they have been deemed the subject matter expert(s) in a particular area by the Director or the Chief of Information and Public Relations, provided such communication first goes through the Director's Office, via the Chief of Information and Public Relations. Representatives of the media are discouraged from contacting RIDOC employees directly other than the Chief of Information and Public Relations. The Chief of Information and Public Relations, in consultation with the Director, makes arrangements with the appropriate subject matter expert(s) within RIDOC staff in order to facilitate the media request so long as it does not jeopardize the security of Departmental operations.D. The executive committees of bargaining units are permitted to speak to the media about legitimate union business or matters which relate to collective bargaining or contract administration.240 R.I. Code R. 240-RICR-20-00-2.4