UNITED
NATIONS, June
18 -- Even
while the UN Security
Council met
Tuesday
morning about
Libya, the
UN's reduction
of media
access for
most,
double
standards and
favoritism for
its UN
Censorship
Alliance known
as UNCA was on
display.
There
was still no
media
worktable as
existed before
the Council's
relocation.
But into the Turkish Lounge area,
from which a
journalist
who has signed
a Free
UN Coalition
for Access
petition was
told to leave
on
Monday by the
UN Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit, an UNCA
Executive
Committee
member
sprawled out
talking on a
cell phone.
Some
journalists
are allowed by
the UN in the
Turkish
Lounge, and
some are
not. A wag
mused that it
is like Taksim
Square of
late.
There
are two
standards, you
see. The UN is
moving to Ban
even a sign
for
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
which has been
pushing back
against
the reduction
in access and
media
workspace. But
the UN says
there
can continue
to be at least
two big signs
up for UNCA,
which sign on
to the access
reduction (and
sign
elimination)
rule. Photos
here.
Who
was the UNCA
Executive
Committee
member
sprawled out
in the Turkish
Lounge? First
Vice President
Louis
Charbonneau of
Reuters, who
has
repeatedly
written to
the UN's
Stephane
Dujarric,
first at his
UN
address
and then more
stealthly to a
personal
account,
seeking to get
Inner City
Press thrown
out of the UN.
UN Censorship
Alliance,
indeed. But
this double
standard is
one step too
far. Watch
this
site.
Footnote:
Also
Tuesday
morning, a UN
staff member
-- NOT from
the Department
of
Public
Information,
MALU's parent
- told Inner
City Press
that some
benches for
journalists
are to be
installed in
the next few
days.
This is
some reaction
to FUNCA's
advocacy, but
not enough.
And MALU's
and Dujarric's
response is to
try to Ban the
signs of
FUNCA, and
create a
double
standard in
Taksim Square
-- sorry, the
Turkish
Lounge.
, 
