by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 22 – How much in decay is today's United Nations? Inner City Press is banned for its reporting but SG Guterres restored access for a Russian state reporter, see below.
On October 22 deputy spokesman Farhan Haq used one fast line to confirm that Guterres is headed to Kazan, Russia for BRICS chaired by Putin. Then Haq refused all written Press questions.
Inner City Press is informed that a favored correspondent recently out at CBS has been given former NYT space - representing US News & World Report. This as, during the UNGA "High Level" week a Russian state reporter had accreditation stripped or downgraded after an encounter with Germany's Foreign Minister.
Then after a Russian complaint to SG Antonio Guterres, "the issue is being dealt with between the Russian Federation and our colleagues in the Department of Global Communications," according to Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Inner City Press in writing asked, Dujarric, Melissa Fleming, the Swiss Mission and 50 others: "On the change of UN accreditation to a Russian state media correspondent, and the statement that Melissa Fleming / DGC was "dealing" with it with the Russian Mission, immediately state what happened, and why - and why Fleming has refused to answer letters about the ban on Inner City Press from pro bono law firms Quinn Emanuel and Duane Morris."
Dujarric and 50 others refused to answer, but sent this to others: "The actions of the journalist in question were a breach of the Media Access Guidelines... In light of this breach, the journalist’s status was changed by the Department of Global Communications to non-resident correspondent. He remains an accredited journalist, able to access UNHQ and cover meetings, briefings and other events.
No answer from Dujarric - but Russia's PR on October 4 did another stakeout, about Nordstream, and didn't mention the issue, clearly satisfied with Guterres' capitulation, on this and more important matters. The Russian correspondent, like the NYT, rarely even goes to the UN in decline.
And this is the same Dujarric who got Inner City Press thrown out of the UN Briefing Room and the UN, and refuses to answer its daily written questions. This is Guterres' UN - and we'll have more, much more, on it.
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
