By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 9 -- The UN's relations with the Press range from bugs to snubs to turf wars. Since the middle of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's trip to China, the UN press corps has been full of questions why Ban didn't mention the recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Major media outlets asked Ban's spokesman about the omission day after day.
When Ban returned, he did not hold any regular press conference. Rather he appeared one morning at 9 am to speak about climate change. When nevertheless a China and human rights question was asked -- albeit one that did not mention Liu Xiaobo -- Ban read from prepared notes that he had mentioned human rights three times in China.
In the days after that, still no press Q&A with Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Then after holding a press availability only for the Korean media he left for the G-20 meeting in his native South Korea. On November 9 his acting Deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that Ban would be holding a press conference -- in Seoul.
Amid the groans in the press area of UN headquarters, on the second floor of the Dag Hammarskjold Library, there was also on the night of November 8 a belated test for bed bugs. Inner City Press broke the bed bugs story, last year about the UN's “swing space” on 46th Street and last month in the basement of the Library and then elsewhere.
Tests were conducted on the Library's first floor and third floor -- where UN Under Secretary General for Management Angela Kane is based -- but not on the second, where the Press offices are. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky explained to Inner City Press that tests are based on requests. So a request was made.
On November 8, some 90% of the cubicles of UN-based media organizations including this one were subject to a canine test, “no cameras allowed.” On November 9 the results were released: two offices were infected, those of BBC and NHK Broadcasting. We'll leave readers to draw their own conclusions.
As in Seoul Ban Ki-moon prepared for the press conference he didn't hold in New York, on the same second floor of the Dag Hammarskjold Libary a turf war was breaking out. In what was previously in the Secretariat called the J or Japanese Room, the “K” or Korean wing is said to often sit empty.
At least one reporter for Japanese media moved in to fill the void, due to limited space for her media. A few verbal altercations ensued, until the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit was called in. MALU has a rule that media must be at the UN three days a week to have an office.
Of some of the Korean media it is alleged -- and even admitted -- that the three day test is not met. The perception among numerous correspondents is that the Korean media is protected, by Ban Ki-moon and his senior adviser Kim Won-soo. (In fact, a story is told of Mr. Kim proffering a deal to UN reporters, to get Korean outlets space.)
With Ban seemingly avoiding the UN press corps, any attempt to question the status or presence of Korean media organizations will inevitably be seen as more than bureaucratic. And so a fight impends.
Footnote: for those who question this piece's focus on Seoul then the Korean media, it is worth noting that this year's UN Day concerts was even more Korea heavy that previously reported. A Korean symphony played, sponsored by Korean Broadcasting, begun by a video touting the wonders of Korea. Afterward, Inner City Press got a text message that Ban surfaced at a reception at the Korean Mission just across from the UN. Amid the bed bugs and unanswered questions, there is more and more grumbling. Watch this site.
