For Pope at
UN, Faux
Lottery of
Spots Not
Taken by UNCA, UN
Censors Club
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 22
-- At the UN,
transparency
and access are
in decline,
due to
collusion.
Despite talk
of the
upcoming Papal
visit and UN
General
Assembly week
having
Facebook and
Instagram,
virtual
reality and
even Ban
Ki-moon on
Snapchat,
things
threaten to
get worse.
Take for
example the
Pope's visit
to the UN on
September 25.
As everywhere
else, there is
more demand
than there is
space, so the
UN purported
to hold a
lottery for
journalist.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access went
to observe the
lottery, and
was
appreciative
for that --
but found that
the old UN
Correspondents
Association
had already
grabbed six
spots.
It was,
then,
something of a
faux
lottery of the
spots they
hadn't taken.
They call the
six spots --
given, it's
said by UNCA
but the UN has
yet to
disclose, to
the former
head of UNCA's
CBS, Al
Jazeera and
Foreign Policy
-- “pool”
although UNCA
has never
provided
pooled
coverage, at
least not to
those who
don't pay
money to it.
There
was another
UNCA board
member with
more than one
entry, but
they still
"won" a spot.
Meanwhile
others not
liked or known
by the two
UNCA observers
were bounced on
various
pretexts.
FUNCA stood up
for one less than tech-savvy
applicant.
UNCA
Executive
Committee
members “won”
other spots;
one of them
told
multi-media
Inner City
Press, You are
not a
photographer
and said it
shouldn't get
a spot to
cover the
Pope's meeting
with UN staff
- then took a
spot for
herself.
This is
today's UN -
but Inner City
Press will
nevertheless
have Papal
coverage on
September 25,
no thanks to
UNCA. Maybe
even, like Ban
Ki-moon, on Snapchat
(InnerCityPress),
certainly
Periscope.
Later on
September 22,
there was an
again-appreciated
media
walk-through
(Inner City
Press for the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access
Periscoped
some of it,
for wider
benefit, while
trying to not
portray either
the speaker or
listeners,
never easy).
Among the
upshots is
that the
General
Assembly UNTV
stakeout is
being set up
in a location
of the third
floor that few
speakers would
or even could
find and go
to. Media
access, FUNCA
says, is in
decline: due
to collusion.
We'll have
more on this.
Up to
September 11,
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon has
not held a
Q&A press
conference at
the UN since
December 17,
2014 -- more
than eight
months ago,
after at least
a monthly
press
conference was
promised.
Instead, Ban
and his team
dole out
quotes to
favored media,
apparently
conditioned on
positive or at
least not
negative
coverage.
Ban's UN
partners with
the old UN
Correspondents
Association,
UNCA, whose
leadership is
focused on
getting
privileged
access for
itself, and
effectively
censoring
others.
On September
11, Inner City
Press for the
new Free UN
Coalition for
Access -- yes,
FUNCA --
challenged the
UN's attempt
to Ban
smartphone
broadcasting
in the
upcoming UN
General
Assembly, and
sought
confirmation
that no
country to
expel
journalists it
doesn't like
from the UN
Press Briefing
Room, as
France did
last year.
UNCA's past
and current
head then
asked, if
country do so,
could the
(closed)
briefing be
broadcast out?
Of course, one
couldn't then
ask questions.
But this UNCA
leadership is
not about the
right to ask
questions - if
did nothing,
for example,
when UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous began
picking which
media he would
respond
answers,
saying "I
don't respond
to you
Mister," and
the UN
Spokesperson's
Office
colluded in
this.
The
main point of
UNCA, now the
UN's
Censorship
Alliance, was
for it to be
able to send a
pooler /
scribe to
photo-ops.
FUNCA said it
has no
objection, as
long as the
supposed
"pool" is
shared with
all
journalists,
not just those
who pay UNCA
money and prop
up censorship.
Let the UN /
MALU run it.
We'll see.
Prospectively,
FUNCA asked
the UN to set
up a web page
to upload
answers about
access, where
people can go,
so it can be
shown to
Security in
real time, on
phones.
For
the upcoming
UNGA Week, the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access to be
pushing the
envelope,
seeing more
information,
more access,
more
accountability.
Watch this
site.
On
September 9
Ban's
Spokesperson's
Office sent
out a photo of
Ban with New
York 1,
talking about
the Pope's
visit. Ban's
deputy told a
rarely seen
Italian
journalist,
the landlord
president of
the old UN
Correspondents
Association
(now known at
the UN's
Censorship
Alliance),
that the Nobel
Peace Prize
should go
to... the
Italian Navy.
There were and
are things to
be reported,
but they are
not. Yet.
On September
10, Inner City
Press for the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access asked
Ban's
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, video here, transcript
here:
Inner
City
Press:
I’ve noticed
in recent days
that the
Secretary-General
has done a
series of
interviews,
with the
Guardian, ITV,
maybe New York
1. So
one thing I
wanted to know
is, I went to
the web page,
and I looked
at press
conferences,
and at least…
Q&A press
conferences in
this
room.
And the last
one that I
find is from
December
2014. So
is that the
case? Is
that… is there
something…?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Well, I mean,
since you are
in this room
every time
there’s an
event, I think
you probably
have a pretty
good record…
Inner City
Press:
How would you
explain this,
eight months,
when it was
said that he
would do it
every month?
Spokesman:
I… I think the
Secretary-General,
whenever he
travels, has
had press
engagements.
I mean, he is
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations.
So he does
engage with
the press
globally
wherever he
goes. We
also organize
one-on-one
interviews
throughout the
year. He
also does
press
stakeouts when
we feel
there’s a need
and when he
feels there is
a need to do a
stakeout.
There was one
not too long
ago. And
he does press
conferences.
There are an
army of tools
in our toolbox
in order for
the
Secretary-General
to engage in
the
press. A
press
conference in
this room is
just one of
many.
Inner City
Press:
And this is
the… kind of
procedural
question is
other… you
know, I’m
thinking of
John Kerry,
but I’m sure
this is true
in other
countries as
well.
One, they do
globally and
in their
headquarters.
But they also…
the
spokespeople
office for
these people
put out…
they’ll say,
this interview
took place and
will air
then.
Sometimes
they’ll put
out
transcripts.
How are we to
know what was
said?
Spokesman:
You could also
spend more
days at the
State
Department.
We all work
differently.
Inner City
Press:
Right.
No, but what’s
your reasoning
for doing it —
given there’s
a whole world
interested in
what Ban
Ki-moon says,
why not make
it more
available?
Spokesman:
I think the
Secretary-General
is extremely
available to
the press.
Inner City
Press /
FUNCA: I
disagree
respectfully.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
There you
go. I
disagree
respectfully
as well.
The UN props
up as its
"adversary" a
group it buys
off with faux
access.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access
takes a
different
approach: UN
officials like
Peacekeeping
Chief Herve
Ladsous should
take questions
from the media
which cover
peacekeeping.
He should have
to answer
about the
peacekeeper
rape scandal.
Given these
trends,
discontent
within UNCA
rank and file
led to the
release of
these [annotated]
minutes of a
July 13
meeting of UNCA,
now the UN's
Censorship
Alliance:
"Giampaolo
Pioli (Chair),
more proxies
than present
"Giampaolo
announced
dinner at
Cipriani Wall
Street,
"special
discount price
of $100." Site
was selected
because of
SG’s schedule
and space
availability.
Honorees
include Prince
Albert of
Monaco and
most likely
Leonardo
DiCaprio whose
final
confirmation
is expected in
August. UNCA
members were
encouraged to
apply for the
media awards [No
conflict
there, of course].
Security
arrangements
for the
upcoming
UNGA:
Green Ps will
not have to
wait in the
same line as
those seeking
accreditation...
High speed
internet
issues: a
possible
solution is
having a
separate
access code
for media
center
reporters in
the NLB. [UNCA
seems most
concerned with
obtained more
privileges
than other
journalists.]
UNSC
stakeout: No
access to the
council when
meetings are
not being
held, but
reporters can
move there
before
meetings once
UN TV sets up.
[UNCA
"leaders" have
tried to
limit other
journalists
like this
before: FUNCA
resists it.]
Reporters
will be able
to pay for
high speed
internet and
access to
other Time
Warner
channels for a
fee. Anyone
who wants to
subscribe to
TW needs to
inform Melanie
by email in
order to
provide a list
to the
installers. [So
UNCA is a
middleman,
purportedly
for all
journalists,
for corporate
Time Warner?]
Review
of procedures
for holding
UNCA press
conferences:
It was decided
that UNCA will
be more
selective in
hosting press
conferences
and will focus
on subjects
and speakers
that are a big
draw. Meeting
adjourned at
5:00 pm. It
was followed
by a wine and
cheese
reception."
The
invitation,
which even
most UNCA
members
ignored, said
"At the
end of the
meeting, we
will have a
glass of wine
to wish
everyone a
good summer
vacation."
Whether the
Hamptons or
the Amalfi
coast, when UN
press access
is in decline,
it time to
share a glass
of wine.
2015
opened with
Ladsous openly
refused to
answer Press
questions, video here.
"Leadership"
of the UN
Correspondents
Association,
far from
questioning
this, took
advantage by
grabbing two
qeustions,
just as UNCA
demands and
most often
wastes
side-aside
first
questions at
UN press
conferences.
The following
day, January
23, there was
a UN Security
Council
meeting about
human rights
and UN
Peacekeeping
missions,
including
MONUSCO. But
the meeting
was closed to
the public and
press. Inner
City Press for
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
asked and asks,
Why? The
old United
Nations
Correspondents
Association,
on the other
hand, not only
doesn't
protest such
closures - it
scheduled its
only "faux
fighters"
meeting for
exactly the
same time.
This decayed
UN
Correspondents
Association,
run by
president Giampaolo
Pioli who has
himself
demanded
censorship,
held its
annual meeting
on January 23,
and even by
its own
account, not a
work about
access
problems or
lack of
information.
Here was the
agenda,
annotated, now
with "minutes"
as provided by
disgruntled
members who
say the UN
"makes" them
pay UNCA,
added in
italics:
Space,
"including
journalists on
the waiting
list for
office space"
-- on January
23, UNCA's
"leadership"
said that "that
after meeting
with DPI
working space
on the 4th
floor willbecome
available to
6-8
journalists
beginning in
February."
Even or
especially if
this
representation
is true, there
is a problem:
UNCA is
essentially
selling or
trying to sell
these UN
spaces. UNCA
tells
correspondents
that if they
pay money to
join it, they
will be helped
in getting
office space
from the UN.
Is this
proper?
Less
than a quarter
of those UNCA
took $66,485
from attended
this meeting;
numerous
Executive
Committee
members did
not attend.
Pioli bragged
of "a larger
number of
sponsors," but
the minutes
did not list
them. There'll
be more on
this.
Meanwhile,
UNCA
leadership is
proposal to
downgrade some
with "white"
UN passed to
"green,"
requiring them
to go through
a separate
entrance and
metal
detectors.
UNCA is
responsible
for Banning
many from
entry into the
UN.
Now UNCA brags
that HRW will
use or be used
by its space.
This is
shameful - and
we'll have
more on it.
Pioli sat in
on the January
26 noon
briefing,
apparently to
see if any of
these outrages
would be
aired,
typically
asking no
questions at
all.
"Social
media" -
despite Ban's
UN purporting
to use UNCA to
reach all
journalists at
the UN, the
Press is
blocked from
UNCA's
moribund
social media
presence. Is
this
attributable
to all 15
Executive
Committee
members? Just
Pioli?
On
January 23,
Pioli said
that the
Reuters
correspondent
who grabbed
two questions
after Ladsous
said "I don't
respond to
your questions
Mister" is in
charge of UNCA
tweets.
Similar to the
claim that UN
labor issues
are handed in
happy one-way
meeting with
staff during
country
visits, it is
with this that
it seems the
UN will
partner to say
it has
listened on
media access
issues.
After the
September 2014
General
Assembly week
UNCA "minutes"
and partial
list of
grievances
were provided
to FUNCA by
one of UNCA's
many
disgruntled
members. They
are laughable.
The ejection
of non-French
journalists
from the UN
Briefing Room
was not
mentioned, nor
the physical
blocking of
filming.
Instead, UNCA
complains that
there is too
much news
during the
General
Assembly --
they want
fewer side
events -- and
apparently too
many
journalists at
the UN: they
want a private
wi-fi password
leaving the
current open
wi-fi only for
"guests and
others."
Tellingly, one
of the UNCA
proposals is
for a booklet
co-signed by
Ban Ki-moon
and UNCA.
With
this bogus
list and
presumably
seeking that
booklet, they
say that the
UN's Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit proposes
to meet only
with their
Executive
Committee.
This is akin
to a fake
wrestling
match, in
which the two
sides pretend
to fight, for
an audience.
The Free UN
Coalition for
Access has
told MALU, but
repeats: if
they even
aspire to
legitimacy,
the UN must
reach out to
all
journalists,
at the UN and
ideally
beyond, and
not that
subset which
pay UNCA
money. That is
a decidedly
partial
subset: a fake
wrestling
match.
The
UN while
throwing out
media from
workspace
gives its UN
Censorship
Alliance a
large room,
which it then
limits to
those that pay
it money in
dues. Here's
how it works:
a new media at
the UN is
told, from the
pinnacle of
the UN's
Censorship
Alliance, to
pay UNCA $90
and UNCA will
get the UN to
give the media
UN office
space.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access
targeted these
censorship
practices in a
September
29 flier,
online, in the
UN including
on the "open"
bulletin board
it got the UN
to install
(the flier was
torn down, one
can only
imagine by
whom, but has
gone back up.)