Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

As Troll Twitter Account Targets ICP, SABC Films, Flaunts SA Connection

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 26 -- After Inner City Press was summarily ejected from the UN, which it has covered for ten years, on February 19, the ostensibly deciding official Cristina Gallach told no less than Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos Horta that Inner City Press would still be able to cover the UN.

What she didn't say was that Inner City Press' ability to cover the unfolding UN corruption scandal in which she has played a role would be curtailed under the proposed arrangement - by design.

Because as a working journalist it needed access to cover the February 25 UN Security Council meeting about North Korea, and only in connection with filing a lawyer's letter telling Gallach and the UN not to touch Inner City Press' office or files, Inner City Press late morning entered the UN with a so-called "Green P" non-resident correspondents pass.

On February 26, as if on cue, an anonymous troll Twitter account spung up trying to identify any possible rule Inner City Press might violation - like, working at the Security Council stakeout - and trying to convince for example the Government Accountability Project, and US Ambassador for Management and Reform Isobel Coleman to whom GAP wrote, that anonymous insiders should be believed over Inner City Press, on the record.

A follower, at least, of the troll account is Sherwin Bryce-Pease of South African Broadcasting. Inner City Press never had any issue with him, but on February 19 as Inner City Press was physcially thrown out of the UN onto First Avenue, there is was, pre-positioned, filming. Is that was SABC is all about?

Earlier this week, Inner City Press exclusively reported that South African troops in Darfur were ordered repatriated by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous. On February 26, SABC's question on this, UN transcript:

SABC: Thanks, Steph. A question on the South African battalion's withdrawal from UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur). How concerned is the Secretary-General by this withdrawal? And what does it say about the future viability of this Mission in Sudan? Our understanding, from the South African Government, is that this is not just a reallocation of resources. This is due to whole-hearted frustration in terms of being unable to fulfil the mandate that they've been assigned, logistical hurdles that make it impossible for them to manage that deployment. Clearly, there must be knowledge known to the United Nations. How concerned are you about what this says for the future of the Mission? And in terms of the replacements you will seek for this battalion, what are you telling TCC's (troop-contributing countries) about the environment under which they operate in Sudan?

How surprising, that South African Broadcasting Corp could ask a question based on "our understanding, from the South African Government" - is this how our state media mocked by the insiders operate?

Ironically, while asking the above - and as alerted to Inner City Press by an elert reason, the SABC correspondent tweeted, "Journalists should ask questions & NOT insert themselves, their thoughts, concerns & ideas into those questions. Ask the question. Simple" - as Inner City Press asked of its expulsion.

Further irony is the SABC correspondent's pitching of a South African from a Deputy job in Darfur - when Ladsous threw a South African batallion out....

In 2013 in similar circumstances - an attempt to throw Inner City Press out of the UN, amid press coverage which made the UN and those lame among the UN press corps look bad - the same thing happened. In Media Bistro, the trolls were identified as Agence France Presse and Reuters.

That scribes for major media companies would establish anonymous troll accounts to attack smaller independent media is shameful, and will be responded to, and this and other cases, by the Free UN Coalition for Access, FUNCA -- tellingly, also being trolled by this account.

Significantly, among this new trolling endeavor's dozen followers are both the bureau chief of Reuters Louis Charbonneau, and his correspondents - and arm grabber - Michelle Nichols.

More significant: this time, the dozen followers includes not only DPA, the German Press Agency, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, whose correspondent was pre-positioned to film Inner City Press ejection by UN Security on February 19 -- but also Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric. This is a scandal, on which we'll have more.

For the record, both UNCA, through its Executive Committee, and the UN have been directed to and have seen this troller social media account.

At the stakeout on February 25, after covering five separate Security Council consultations, Inner City Press asked the President of the Security Council for February, Rafael Ramirez of Venezuela, about one of them, and what he thought of the UN's commitment to free press.

"I hope you find your office," the President of the Security Council said. Video here. So who is Cristina Gallach? Another Security Council Permanent Representative told Inner City Press what Gallach did, ousting the Press without due process, was "outrageous."

On Feburary 26, the UN Staff Union's 45th Staff Council adopted and issued a Bulletin calling for the UN to immediate restore Inner City Press to possession of its office and to ensure these abuses not happened again. Full text here; excerpts below:

"The 45th Staff Council of the United Nations Staff Union expresses its solidarity with Mr. Matthew R. long-time journalist of Inner City Press who was summarily stripped of his credential and physically thrown out of United Nations premises by security personnel, reportedly on the instructions of the Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Public Information.

It is shocking and dismaying that at the United Nations, as a beacon of all freedoms enshrined in its Charter, the Administration would blatantly eject a member of the press corps assigned to report on events at the Organization, in an attempt to muzzle and intimidate. Such actions, reminiscent of tendencies seen, sadly, in too many parts of the world, have no place at the United Nations. They are inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations, which include safeguarding the rights of all peoples and ensuring due process, transparency, accountability and the freedom of the press.

It is inconceivable that the United Nations Administration would seek to silence a member of the press and limit his or her access and ability to report on events at the world Organization, and all the more so given the lack of due process and the manner in which Mr. Lee was treated, simply because Administration officials feel they can do so without any consequences. The actions by the Administration demean all of us, and they demean and undermine the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Any potential disagreement, misunderstanding or other matter surely can be resolved —here of all places.

It should be recalled that this is not the first time that Administration officials have exhibited less than democratic tendencies. Since the December 2013 elections for the staff representatives to the 45th Staff Council, the Secretary-General has to this day refused to grant facilities and time release to the elected staff representatives on the pretext of an undisclosed “dispute” and, perhaps more disturbing, because he feels that he can. For the Administration to arbitrarily act as if staff elections had not happened is deeply troubling and reflects what seems to be a growing trend at the Organization.

The 45th Staff Council stands for the freedom of the press and the right to due process. Among other crucial principles, these are fundamental to the functioning of a free society and to the achievement of the free, fair and equitable world all of us are working for — Staff, Administration and Member States.
The Staff Council calls for the immediate return of Mr. Lee’s Resident Correspondent credential and forthe Department of Public Information to restore him to full possession of his office space, which he uses to report, immediately and, in any event, not enter his office or touch any files in the interim, as well as to lift any restrictions imposed on the performance of his duties and the conditions of his accreditation. The Staff Council stands united with Mr. Lee and the entire United Nations press corps, and respectfully calls on the Secretary-General to ensure that such a situation does not recur at the United Nations."

With this reduced access pass Inner City Press would later get locked into the Security Council stakeout, trying to edit video while a Zamboni-like vehicle loudly vacuumed the stakeout. But even before that, even from inside, this photo of UN double standards

Stakeout on #NorthKorea. Note UN guard photographing journos, but we can't photo the guards? pic.twitter.com/0uDroaPoXa
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) February 25, 2016

At the day's noon briefing, after asking of Burundi, Western Sahara, Darfur and the UN corruption scandals, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric two simple question, to which he said #AskGallach. From the UN transcript:

Inner City Press: I'd like this to go smoothly, so I'll do it really quickly. I noticed that on Monday, when I was not able to attend the briefing, that you had a little Q&A about my accreditation status. So, I just want to state one thing very briefly. A legal letter has been received by DPI [Department of Public Information] to not touch my office, not touch any of the files, but I need to cover the meeting this afternoon. I'm just stating that, because I thought it was inappropriate. But, my question is as follows: Is it common UN practice to… to tell a journalist to leave the building and give up Resident Correspondent status without ever once speaking to them? Is that considered an investigation? What is the lowest standard that the UN can go to to have something to be considered a review of the facts?

Spokesman Dujarric: I would encourage you to direct all those questions to Ms. [Cristina] Gallach and to DPI.

Inner City Press: I have one more question. What are the rules for the use of physical force by UN security? Because on Friday evening, I was pushed down the escalator and into the street, and my laptop was thrown on the street, and I… and I was offering absolutely zero physical… physical… so I wanted to know what is the recourse for someone to whom this happens? That's my question.

Spokesman: I would encourage you to raise all these issues having to do with your accreditation, your treatment, and so forth to Ms. Gallach.

Question: What are the rights of people not to be pushed by UN security?

Spokesman: That's… that was my answer to your question. Thank you.

Wait - so the UN has no protocols on the use of force? Or DPI's Gallach is in charge of the use of force, and ordered it?

Inner City Press is opposing all this.

And so now are a range of people from around the world, who have signed a petition to immediately restore Inner City Press to the UN Resident Correspondent accreditation it had for nine years until, without any due process, the UN pass was physically torn from its chest as UN Security throw its laptop onto the sidewalk in front of the UN (also owned by the UN and immunity from US law including the First Amendment).

Here are just some of the comments of those signing the petition directed to Ban Ki-moon:

UN cover-up artists are taking advantage of the dying months of Ban Ki-moon's tenure to remove a thorn in their side, because they are worried the new SG won't want to start out with a fight. -James Bone, Shelter Island Heights, NY

ICP has been the only voice for the oppressed in #Burundi, #Haiti & #Yemen at #UN. -Eloge Tinya, Lagos, Nigeria

Innercitypress is the voice of many oppressed Burundians and many Africans under dictatorship. I have decided to stand with the oppressed and not the oppressor, UN needs to practice what it preaches by setting free innercitypress to do his work! -Lievin Manisha, Pineville, LA

ICP asked questions that will bring clarity on the agreement the Prime Minister of Dominica signed in Macau on August 25, 2015 together with Ng Lap Seng and a UN official. -Hon. Hector John, Salisbury, Dominica

I am signing for UN to restore Matthew Lee Inner City Press right to access to the UN as a Resident Correspondent to question authorities because it is the fundamental of free speech as the UN preaches to other countries it must first practice itself to set example. -Smret Kibrom, San Gallo, Switzerland

Freedom of press. -Prem Kumar, India

innercitypress defends the human rights of Burundians and help to avoid genocide, please free innercitypress! - MICHAEL Tim, London, United Kingdom

I'm signing because the barring of access to Mr. Lee appears to be at worst motivated by a reluctance to engage with and continue to receive the probing questions he asks, and at best the result of a petty personal vendetta based on unprofessional antipathy towards Mr. Lee by the 'respectable' wing of the United Nations press corps. -Marlon Ettinger, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

I am signing this petition for Matthew Russell Lee and Inner City Press be restored to the shared UN office and Resident Correspondent accreditation they have had for eight years prior to this pretextual incident. It also requests, as does the Free UN Coalition for Access that Matthew co-founded, that an investigation be launched into how all of this occurred. Moreover to call for aggressive investigative journalism at the UN and to tell the leaders of the UN that the UN, too, must live up to the principles of due process and freedom of the press. -Martha Fassil, New York, NY

Comment l'onu peut agir de sorte alors qu'ils sont comme meilleur modèle de la démocratie, je garde espoir qu'on aura un jour un vrai dirigeants de l'onu pour tous. -Steve Ndacasaba, Montréal, Canada

I'm signing cause, want a real journalist who tells it like it is. No agenda but the truth. I am supporting him for standing up for UN bully. -Paulos Welday, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Han er en journalist som forteller sannheten til verden.
Mussie Tesfay, Oslo, Norway

UN should walk the talk. Practice what you preach - rule of law, democracy, freedom of expression, of press. Reinstate ICP Mathew Russell Lee to full resident reporter. -Seble Ephrem, London, United Kingdom

we need a voice for africa
redae medhane, Kitchener, Canada

Incredible. This banning is the exact opposite of the transparency and accountability that the UN should be defending for all institutions. This must be reversed.
Denis Rancourt, Ottawa, Canada

ICP is the most reliable source of information at the UN. The other corporate media are controlled by the special interest groups. Thus their journalistic integrity is always suspect. ICP is voice of the voiceless - of course unlike the UN and its sponsors and financiers. -tsehaie mahary, edmonton, Canada

I express my solidarity with Mathew, God bless you friend
Mohamed MAYARA, El Aaiun, Western Sahara

Matthew Lee has been a lone voice asking the difficult questions in the UN press gallery. -Martin Field, Geneva, Switzerland

I have seen Matthew only defending the truth. He is a journalist with a genuine journalist ethics. He is also the one of the most intelligent and courageous journalist. He is a model how other journalist should be. He should be given a noble prize for what he does not get banned from the UN. -Yacob Woldehiwot, London, United Kingdom

The UN cannot be dismissive of new media as people get their news from new media.The UN cannot pick and choose media persons according to their whims and fancies. -soraya patel, India

Shame on UN. -ibrahim alhaifi, Sanaa, Yemen

I believe this is censorship of the press. Shameful. -Douglas Smith, New York, NY

I believe this is censorship of the press. Shameful. -Douglas Smith, New York, NY
I'm signing because I believe in ICP to bring balance to the reporting of UN activities around the globe. I also believe in the ability of Lee to investigate, without fear or favour, to keep the UN reputation intact. -Saare Tsehaye, London, United Kingdom

Because this is censorship on free press. Inner City stands for Truth, Justice & Peace !!! -Aman Kubrom, Frankfurt, Germany

How can the UN be so ridiculous?
Feridun Akpinar, Turku, Finland

For Truth & Transparency, there must always be those who Question more. -Auet Melache, Bolton, United Kingdom

I am signing because UN is being unfair and need to take some responsibility. -Lynda Charles, Boynton Beach, FL

He's credible and follows the ethics of journalism to the fullest. -Amanuel Tseggai, Stone Mountain, GA

We need the alternative,independent and investigative media to be present everywhere. -Marja Konttila, Solna, Sweden

I demand the U.N. unconditionaly and ASAP to restore access to Inner City Press`Matthew Russell Lee to the U.N. as a Resident Correspondent. -johannes abraham, Germany

I believe in press giving independant views on ignored issues
Cyrilla Bwakira, Johannesburg, South Africa

Ban is a tool. -Michael Klett, San Francisco, CA

InnerCity Press has been very professional and a life saver. His reports on different issues around the world helped uncover certain hidden truths. If Ban was in #Burundi 2 days ago, I can say it is mainly because of his persistence of bringing Burundi to light from the repression of de facto president
Manirambona Juma, Kirundo, Burundi

Matt spells out the truth and exposes the games protecting the outdated system for what it currently is.Matt actually supports the principle of the UN, those within it, support themselves. -Andy Wren, Littlestone, United Kingdom

Weil ich sihe das innercity einsige unabhengige median vetretete vor
Stimmenloss. -Iassu nugusse, Germany

Matthew Russell Lee, founder of the Inner City Press, is a veteran investigative journalist I have relied upon on UN news for the past six years. He is truthful, and pursues truth in reporting tenaciously and with integrity. We need more journalists like him at the UN to keep us informed. He and his Inner City Press must be reinstated as a fully accredited resident journalist to the UN. -Elias Amare, San Rafael, CA

We need unbiased and impartial reporting from the UN. -David Macilwain, Australia

Does the UN have something to hide? The UN is also obligated by the same principles and norms it preaches. I demand the UN to reinstate Matthew Russell Lee to his desk so he can do what he does best- pure journalism. He is the only honest journalist at the UN compound and being the voice of the voiceless. -Daniel Berhe, Seattle, WA

I am signed because ICP thrown out on the street by the decorator of UN media Personnel with out his belongings Shame UN. -Yakob Tesfaye, Edmonton, Canada

I am signing this because I want to learn about the corrupt UN security council.
TEKLU BAHTA, NORTH CHICAGO,

I respectively ask UNSG and Mr Ban ki-moon to reture Matt to his post us a dedicated reporter in the UN. I have a huge respect for the guy. It would be a travesty of justice if a reporter like matt is out the office of the biggest office in the world when we need a reporter of such kind. -Kibrom tekeste, berkeley, CA

I'am signing because I believe in freedom of speach and Free Press Reporters/Journalists. -Ndayizeye APOLLINAIRE, Gatineau (Hull), Canada

The UN repeatedly acts like human rights protections apply to everyone but themselves. -Betsey Chace, Cambridge, MA

Matthew is the only bona fide journalist reporting on UN. He alone is rectifying the defects created by system of diplomatic immunity. Why makes his job harder? Do you have something to hide from him? He makes UN a more acceptable organization and indeed, by genuinely reporting he makes this world a better place. -T Chan, London, United Kingdom

I am signing for UN to restore Matthew Lee Inner City Press right to access to the UN as a Resident Correspondent to question authorities because it is the fundamental of free speech as the UN preaches to other countries it must first practice itself to set example.
Sara Haile, Alexandria, VA

Matthew Lee is, far and away, the hardest-working and most dogged of any journalist at the United Nations. His arbitrary expulsion is both outrageous and a reflection of the fact that things are not as they should be at the United Nations, and certainly not what YOU would expect. - alberto martin, New York, NY

He is the best one, for the world in the UN which tells us the truth. So if he is out of his work then the UN only remains with out the truth.
ghebreyohanis michiel, bachenbülach, Switzerland

Burundi medias burned by violent/genocidaire regime;our genuine source of information from UN was ICP:fair,not sided.Pls,Reestablish ICP in its rights!
Ange Nganji, Bujumbura, Burundi

I'm signing because I believe in the freedom of the press. I often reads Matthew Lee's work which reports on difficult topics and events that need covering and exposure. He should be reinstated at your earliest convenience.
Rebecca Myles, New York, NY

I'm signing because I'm an advocate for real, independent journalism and condemn the UN's decision to remove Inner City Press's access based on a nonsensical pretext! -Hermon Gebrai, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom

I appreciate Inner City Press' persistent and prepared journalism at the United Nations. -Brian Concannon Jr., Marshfield, MA

Freedom of the press. -Luiz Rampelotto, New York, NY
18 hours ago

The UN needs to be held to standards of openess, transparency and freedom of the press. -Samuel Horton, Silsden, United Kingdom

Lee should not have been expelled, it's a disgrace to the UN. -Richard Johnson, Potomac, MD

It's unfair to throw someone out like that with out hearing from his side of history. -Hermon Tsegay, Slough, United Kingdom

Such a crck down on media in an organization promoting freedom of speech and information is really awkward and clearly disgraceful and unacceptable. -Florent Nduwayo, Kibungo, Rwanda

This is another in a long line of incidents conclusively evidencing the UN's complete and utter disrespect for the laws of its HOST country, the US, in particular the 1st amendment!! UN IMMUNITY = IMPUNITY--END IT NOW!! Journalists are the ultimate whistleblowers, and I am well aware of how UN whistleblowers like Mr Lee are persecuted and suffer grievous harm at the hands of rogue UN officials. The treatment of Mr. Lee is an outrage.

How ironic this has happened just as the US House Committe on Foreign Relations is today, on 24 Feb, holding a hearing about the gross mistreatment of whistleblowers at the UN and WIPO. Congress must act now to cut off 15% of US appropriations to the UN this year on account of its failure to protect and encourage UN whistleblowers like Mr Lee, as provided for in US law, as it already did to WIPO!! -ted beacher, Geneva, Switzerland

ICP is doing a great job. UN should support,respect and promote free speech. -Kalu Thapa, Kathmandu, Nepal

There are more...

But the UN Correspondents Association, at least its 15 Executive Committee members, issued a February 22 statement in context fully supporting the throwing of Inner City Press into the street, the seizure of passport, the Banning, all of it. We wonder if these scribes' employers know about this.

For now we reiterate the obvious: the UN Press Briefing Room is presumptively open to all press. If Spokesman Dujarric, or DPI's Gallach, wants to lend it to their friends, at least provide a notice so journalists hungry for news don't get excluded and get nothing.

Follow @innercitypress Follow @FUNCA_info

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.