On Burundi CAR Repatriations, Reuters Pilfers Two Day Old Press Story and Covers Up UN's Ladsous, Burundi's Baratuza

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, February 12 -- Two days after Inner City Press on February 9 reported, documented and publicly asked the UN about the repatriation of Burundian troops from the UN Mission in the Central African Republic, Reuters belatedly "saw" the repatriation and repackaged it as its own.

  In doing so, Reuters ignored that UN Peacekeeping had previously been deploying yet another human rights abuser from Burundi, Gaspar Baratuza, until civil society alerted the Press and the UN begrudgingly repatriated him.

  UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous has, in fact, gone out of his way to allow Burundians to "serve" in CAR -- while delivering the pay to the Nkurunziza government -- including through an October 1 meeting with the country's vice president on which Inner City Press also reported and asked the UN.

  Inner City Press has in fact been asking UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, at numerous UN noon briefings, about even these most recent Burundian troops, by name, since 2015. Significantly, while even after Inner City Press published proof of the repatriation on February 9, Dujarric replied at that day's noon briefing he had no information.

  Apparently he either didn't seek or disclose the confirmation, which Herve Ladsous' mission in CAR then belatedly delivered up to Reuters. This is how it works: by analogy, a crime syndicate.

  Reuters UN bureau chief Lou Charbonneau previously wrote to Dujarric seeking to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN, here. When this was exposed and Charbonneau's request was published, Charbonneau using the name of Reuters cited copyright to Google to get the leaked document removed from Google's search, shown here by the Chilling Effects project / EFF.

   After a hand-off, Reuters correspondent tried the same, and most recently cut into Inner City Press' questions in even the UN briefing room about UN corruption. To this has Reuters at the UN sunk.

Perhaps in light of this history, the February 11 story is bylined not from the UN - but surely Google, to see that the story had already been reported and asked about the "seen" document published, exists elsewhere. The story was dutifully dumped on the Daily Mail, Malaysia's Star Online and, yes, StreetInsider.com. Exposed, itcontinues.

What is wrong with Reuters, and why does it do what it do? We'll have more on this.

 Since this has become a pattern with Reuters, at least at the UN, Inner City Press asked Stephen J. Adler, Walden Siew and Paul Ingrassia and othr Reuters bigwigs to state the company's policies. It never happened. We'll have more on this.

Amid killings by the security forces in Burundi, the Pierre Nkurunziza government with the agreement of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous has undertaken to deploy officers allegedly involved in human rights abuses into Ladsous' Central African Republic mission, MINUSCA, see below.

  Since last year, Inner City Press has repeatedly asked the UN about the deployments of Pierre Niyonzima, Jean Bosco Mushimantwari and Jimmy Rusheshe.

  After weeks of stonewalling, Inner City Press can now report that at least these three are being sent back to Burundi, per OHCHR. But, amazingly, even after Inner City Press published the Feb 5 memo, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric on February 9 when Inner City Press asked refused to confirm it. Video here.

Dujarric said he would get an update - but five hours later none was provided. See below.



   But even when caught red-handed, the games of UN Peacekeeping and Burundi continue, with the switching of military grade of officers whom the Pierre Nkurunziza government wants to reward with UN posts, often for the abuses they committed.

  Inner City Press asked repeatedly about (mis-classified) Gaspard Baratuza, and finally he was rejected by UN Peacekeeping for a Public Information post in the Central African Republic. The UN has refused to answer on other deployments - and now, even on deployment which are fully documented.

On January 5, after publishing the documents, Inner City Press asked the UN about a murder, and a deployment.  Transcript here.

  Inner City Press has obtained the UN and Burundian Mission to the UN documents keeping the CAR post for Burundi, by mis-classifying full Colonel Adolphe Manirakiza as a mere Lt Colonel. It is signed by UN Peacekeeping's Maqsood Ahmed.



  Running this scam for Burundi is its reclusive Ambassador to the UN Albert Shingiro, who mocked his countrymen when they protested in front of the UN, and blocks the Press from his Twitter feed.



 And now, Nkurunziza says no talks on January 6, nor January 16; still no confirmation ofa Security Council visit January 22-25. What will Ban Ki-moon say? Who knows - his UN Corruption Association accepts "no Q&A." Watch this site.

  Now Nkurunziza's Imbonerakure militia members are quoted by APthat "We would like to warn African Union troops that the majority of Burundians don't want them and they should not impose themselves on the people of Burundi." Here is a video of the ruling party demonstrations, on Facebook.

  Also on Facebook, Burundi's Permanent Representative to the UN Albert Shingiro -- who blocks Inner City Press from his Twitter feed -- tried to mock a protest by follow Burundians which Inner City Presscovered on December 23, here. Some diplomacy: banning the Press from his statements, mocking rather than seeking to dialogue with his countrymen. To this has Burundi sunk.

 On December 24, Inner City Press asked for the second time, video here:

Inner City Press: whether you have any... first, any readout of Mr. Benomar's travels and attempts to speak with the Government in the region.  I'm asking you... yesterday there was… you may have seen it; you may not have seen it… there was a protest outside the building by Burundians, and in speaking with them, they judge the performance of the Secretariat as weak.

And I wanted to know, just to get, I guess, your response to that, and if there's any update on the deployment of these two, Pierre Niyonzima and Jimmy Rusheshe, both of whom have been linked to the hospital killings in May…

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:  On your second part, no, I have no update than what was given.  I know there are discussions going on.  I don't have an update to share with you.  On your first part, I think we can all agree on the frustration of the Burundian people as they see the violence increase in their country.  The Secretary-General, through the work of his Special Envoy, is very much focused on finding ways to move the political dialogue forward and to obviously see an end to the current violence that we're seeing.  He is currently in Kampala in Uganda meeting with local officials, and I believe there will be talks there early next week.

Inner City Press:  Will your office be sending stuff out during this break?

Spokesman:  Obviously, as I said, we'll be fully staffed.  If there are updates to share, we will share them with you.

   Back on December 17 Inner City Press was told, the third time it asked, that the Burundi's Army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza's deployment to the UN mission in CAR had been suspended, and Baratuza was being repatriated. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who has shielded Secretary General Ban Ki-moon from such Press questions, said "it's an example of the [vetting] policy working."

 But Inner City Press has obtained the Burundi government document for the deployment not only of Baratuza but other officers in Ladsous' MINUSCA. Today we focus and ask about Major Pierre Niyonzima.

According to Inner City Press' sources, Niyonzima not only defended extrajudicial executions, he participated in them.  On May 14, they say, Major Niyonzima was the Senior army officer who led the attack on the hospital where those accused of involvement in the attempted coup were slaughtered.  They say Niyonzima reports to Guillaume Bunyoni and has been involved in killings in Musaga, Nyakabiga and Mutakura. We'll have more on this, and on other deployees to Ladsous' MINUSCA, including  Jimmy Rusheshe.

On December 21 Inner City Press asked the UN's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about these deployments, and the Burundian government's rejection of the African Union's proposed deployment, video here,transcript here:

Inner City Press: on Burundi, as you know, the African Union Peace and Security Council has made this proposal 5,000 peacekeepers and set a 96-hour deadline for the Government to respond.  The assembly has met and rejected it and said it would be a violation of the sovereignty of the country.  So, I wanted to know, what is the Secretariat… Mr. [Jamal] Benomar, what do they… you think of both the [African Union Peace and Security Council] taking a seemingly fairly aggressive protection of civilian stance and the Government rejecting it? 

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, first of all, regarding that, I believe that the discussions will continue with the African Union and the Government of Burundi.  But, we certainly support the efforts by the African Union and its Peace and Security Council to deal with the protection of civilians in Burundi.  We've made clear our alarm at recent developments and the need for there to be additional steps to bring the tensions on the ground to a halt.  As you know, the Security Council itself has been apprised by the Secretary-General of various options for the way forward, and we await their guidance on that.  Meanwhile, Mr. Benomar has started some of his travels.  I believe he was in Washington, D.C., in the last few days, and he is expected to head to the region shortly.

Correspondent:  And then… thanks a lot.  I wanted… something a little more specific.  It has to do with this vetting of troops from Burundi, but I guess you could say elsewhere.  I know it was said last week that Gaspard Baratuza, a Deputy Spokesman of the army, was being repatriated.

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes.

Inner City Press:  But, I've since seen a letter… it was his deployment letter, but it also involved two other majors in the army who are said to have been involved in the… the assault on a hospital in May, right after the coup attempt in which people were killed in their beds, and these involve Mr. Pierre Niyonzima and Jimmy Rusheshe.  And both of them, according to a letter from the Burundian Army, are… were being deployed to the UN in the Central African Republic.  So, I wanted… I guess I want to ask you, like, what does the vetting consist of?  What was the vetting that Mr. Baratuza failed that these two individuals apparently don't fail, given their involvement in extrajudicial executions?

Deputy Spokesman:  As we get information… if any information causes us to have concerns about deployment, it is reviewed in that light.  In that light, Mr. Baratuza, his suspension was first delayed, and then he was repatriated.  And so, depending upon the information, as we get it, we'll act upon it.

Inner City Press:  So, does… I guess what I'm saying is does the… either the human rights presence of the UN in Burundi have information about those who commanded the assault on this hospital, it's called Bumerec Hospital, in May and the connection to the people that were being deployed?

Deputy Spokesman:  Like I said, we… yes, we do have a human rights presence in Burundi.  As we get information, we act upon, and that includes anyone being deployed.


Obtained by Inner City Press

Ladsous' lack of vetting was criticized in the recently released report into the cover up of peacekeepers' rapes in the Central African Republic. Earlier, Inner City Press exclusive reported on Ladsous in his October 1, 2015 meeting with Burundi's vice president saying that he is "pragmatic" on human rights.

 On December 16 Inner City Press was banned from questions to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, but learned from the mission MINUSCA that Baratuza was already in Entebbe. Inner City Press asked several Security Council members, then Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric on December17.

Dujarric told Inner City Press Baratuza's deployment is suspended and he is being repatriated: "based on the information we've received regarding the Lieutenant Colonel, his deployment has been suspended, and he will be repatriated back to Burundi." Video here. Dujarric told Inner City Press this shows the UN system working - on a day when a report on rapes was issued showing UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous not sufficiently vetting for human rights. We'll have more on this.



 Amid the escalating killings in Burundi, last weekend's summary executions in neighborhoods opposed to Pierre Nkurunziza's third term stand out. But Burundi Army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza was quoted on December 12 blaming all of the deaths on attempts to steal weapons to free prisoners.

   Inner City Press had heard that Mr. Baratuza was already in the process of being deployed to the UN Peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) even when he was giving these quotes, issuing statements and speaking to state-owned radio, and so asked MINUSCA's acting spokesperson, “Is Gaspard Baratuza of Burundi's army getting a MINUSCA job?”

  On December 16, hours before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held a rare press conference, MINUSCA's acting spokesperson sent this to Inner City Press:

"To: Matthew.Lee [at] InnerCityPress.com
From: Vladimir MONTEIRO [at] UN.org
Date: Wed, Dec 16, 2015
Subject: ICP question: Gaspard Baratuza of Burundi's army getting a MINUSCA-related post?
Cc: FUNCA [at] funca.info

"No decision related to Lt Col Baratuza's deployment can be taken before we finish looking into the matter. We can confirm that Lt Col Baratuza is in Entebbe but he has not yet deployed to MINUSCA.  Regards. VNM"

There are some questions about Baratuza, a Colonel in Burundi's Army, being listed by the UN as “Lt. Col.”

  Despite multiple follow-up questions by Inner City Press, Mr. Monteiro - previously a spokesperson for the UN electoral mission in Burundi - replied that “This is what we can say about this issue.”

   But the UN should have to say more. Inner City Press has repeatedly asked the UN how its Department of Peacekeeping Operations under Herve Ladsous vets those who deploy to UN missions; Inner City Pressexclusively reported on an October 1, 2015 meeting in which Ladsous told Burundi's Vice President Joseph Butare that he is “pragmatic” on human rights.



 Ban Ki-moon and his spokesman declined to take Inner City Press' questions on December 16, as they did on December 14. Vine here. But concerned members of the UN Security Council have now been asked about Baratuza by Inner City Press. Watch this site.

As Reuters Calls Glenn Greenwald An Activist, And Ban Ki-moon Said Snowden Misused, Reuters Spies FOR the UN

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 8 -- Some were surprised when Reuters, reporting on US spying on Petrobras, said Globo's information came from "Glenn Greenwald, an American activist who has worked with fugitive former NSA analyst Edward Snowden." 

 Isn't Snowden a whistleblower, and Greenwald a journalist?

  But this is NOT surprising from Reuters. Its bureau at the UN has repeatedly tried to get the investigative Press thrown out, going so far as to spy for the UN to do it. 

  Reuters bureau chief Louis Charbonneau gave UN accreditation official Stephane Dujarric an internal document of the UN Correspondents Association, three minutes after promising not to do so. Story here, audio here, document here.

  So not only is Reuters amenable to the US' spying -- it does spying itself, for the UN.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Snowden "misused" information and his position, then insisted what he said was in a "private" meeting with the Iceland parliament.

  Reuters' Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols, not surprisingly, are routinely spoon-fed information by the UN and missions, particularly UN Peacekeeping as run by its fourth Frenchman in a row, Herve Ladsous. 

   And when challenged or scrutinized as it was by Inner City Press last week on Syria, Reuters UN bureau expands its anonymous trolling, now through at least two counterfeit Inner City Press social media accounts.

  This has been documented this year to Reuters' big shots ranging from Stephen J. Adler, Editor in Chief, Paul Ingrassia, Deputy Editor in Chief, and Walden Siew, Top News to its former social media editor; nothing was done. 

  It's Reuters which is an activist -- but in these cases, just an activist or assistant to power. And Power. Watch this site.

   

As Pamela Falk's UN Censorship Alliance Trolls Gets Personal, Reuters' Charbonneau's False Ads & Spying for UN, DPI Questions

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 19 -- With Reuters UN bureau having been shown with documents to be spoon-fed spies for the UN, and with UN Correspondents Association president Pamela Falk of CBS News being sycophant for the UN, her UNCA trolls started up again on Monday with personal anti-Press social media posts.

  Meanwhile in the briefing room Monday for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's four-question press "encounter," the UN gave UNCA Executive Committee members the first two question, the first of which was widely ridiculed afterward. This is the UN's Alliance for so many things.

  Monday at the UN Security Council stakeout virtually none of the UNCA Executive Committee members came, as in the Security Council the killings in Egypt and detention of journalist Glenn Greenwald's partner David Miranda by the UK were debated. (Click here for Inner City Press' story.)

  Lou Charbonneau of Reuters, now a mere pass-through for the UK mission, has been shown to spy for the UN, handing them internal anti-Press UNCA documents three minutes after saying he wouldn't. Story here, audio here, document here.

  Because of the anonymous trolling, we note this, on the record: while Charbonneau's feed of corporate robot-tweets was dropped on August 13 from the Foreign Policy magazine "Twitterati 100," he maintains the claim on his twitter profile. 

  Word to Reuters, including heretofore stonewalling Stephen J. Adler, Greg McCune, Paul Ingrassia and Walden Siew, isn't that false advertising? And what of the Reuter-ites' trolling? And spying for the UN? How is this acceptable? 

The UN Department of Public Information, which said months ago it would curb this personal trolling by its exclusive (censorship) partner has apparently done nothing. Instead, on June 20 DPI told Inner City Press it reserves the right to suspend or withdraw its accreditation for hanging a sign of the alternative Free UN Coalition for Access on the door of its shared office. 

  Meanwhile UNCA has five signs, and has had what was supposed to be a UN journalists club locked up and dark for weeks.

  Inner City Press for FUNCA asked about that locked clubhouse, when UNCA used it for some in the Syrian opposition, publicizing it only to those which pay it money. The UN never explained if the events there are UN events, or why it remains locked. Nor when while threatening journalists it gave a non-journalist UNCA intern a "P" Press pass and let him into the briefing room and stakeout.

Watch this site.

Footnote: we have previously named him as the recipient of Charbonneau's "leak" on an internal UNCA anti-Press document, but tonight in fairness note that the UN's Stephane Dujarric did after week answer a question from the Free UN Coalition for Access (Inner City Press re-tweeted the answer, about Al Jazeera, here). We'll have more on this.

Reuters-Linked Troll Social Media Accounts Stoke Up Syria & Rwanda Haters, UN Censorship Alliance

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 12 -- The decline of Reuters' UN Bureau, from anonymous social media trolling to mere re-typing of spoon-fed answers to other media's questionsand outright spying for the UN, demonstrated as to Reuters bureau chief Louis Charbonneau, is a sad and sordid tale. Here is a recent chapter.

  Back on April 10, 2013, Inner City Press showed Reuters big wigs including Stephen J. Adler, his "Ethics Officer" Greg McCune, Editor in Chief, Paul Ingrassia, Deputy Editor in Chief, and Walden Siew, Top News Editor, that their UN reporter Michelle Nichols was associated with anonymous social media accounts that sought to get Inner City Press targeted by extremists in Syria and elsewhere.

This followed a proceeding of the UN Correspondents Association in 2012, led by Charbonneau as he leaked internal anti-Press UNCA documents to UN accreditation official Stephane Dujarric, that resulted in Inner City Press getting death threats from supporters of Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa government, click here an outside summary of that.

  Reuters did nothing; the Reuters-associated account then ramped up the anonymous trolling, including quoting from Dujarric and defending UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Inner City Press' questions after being asked about his role as France's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN during the Rwanda genocide, arguing for the escape of genocidaires into Eastern Congo.

  Now, on August 11, this same anonymous social media account was at it again, trying to stoke up threats from both the Rwanda issue and, again, Syria. Can a major media company act this way? How low with UNCA, now under Pamela Falk of CBS and Charbonneau of Reuters behind her, spying for the UN, go?

Charbonneau hands to Ban Ki-moon: document, audio, story

  What of Dujarric, who accepted without complaint through his personal e-mail address the internal UNCA document from Charbonneau, headed "you didn't get this from me," and has despite this conflict of interest issued his own February 2013 threat letter to Inner City Press, andsupervised one in June about the mere hanging of a sign of the Free UN Coalition for Access on the door of Inner City Press' shared office?

  DPI, where Dujarric works, was long ago made aware of these UNCA "leaders'" anonymous social media trolling. It continues, and DPI has... well, we'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

As Reuters' Pundit Shafer Is Fine With Limits on Free Press, Its UN Bureau Stokes Attacks, Anonymously

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 26 -- So one of the columnists Reuters collects like pets, Jack Shafer, thinks that secret subpoenas to look at journalists e-mails are not a problem.

  Maybe Shafer's piece is just to be contrarian, to put an intellectual gloss on a company, Thomson Reuters, which is mostly about servicing high frequency stock traders.

  But contempt for independent free press can be found in "news" parts of Reuters more faceless than Shafer. In 2012, Reuters UN bureau chief Louis Charbonneau repeatedly tried to get the UN to throw out Inner City Press, after a controversy about the uncredited use of stories first reported by Inner City Press. 

 (Charbonneau at an on the record meeting was asked to explain, but refused to, audio here.)

  Turns out Reuters ties compensation to a reporter's number of labeled exclusives, even if the label is inaccurate.

Inner City Press wrote to Reuters' editor Stephen Adler and showed that the proceeding Reuters' Charbonneau hadstarted was leading to death threats from extremist supporters of Sri Lanka's government. 

  Adler and three other top executives did nothing; Charbonneau ramped up his campaign, including telling the UN he might leave if they didn't throw Inner City Press out, a real threat given the "service" Reuters' Charbonneau provides to the UN and certain Western missions.

  In 2013, Inner City Press showed Adler that Charbonneau's subordinate Michelle Nichols, perhaps on his behalf, was linked to an anonymous social media account which among other things continued the false accusation of funding by the defunct Tamil Tigers. 

  Adler did nothing; nor did other Reuters officials made aware of it, including but not limited to Greg McCune, Paul Ingrassia and Walden Siew.

   This social media trolling has continued, including this Memorial Day weekend. 

 Meanwhile the UN Correspondents Association's Executive Committee, on which Charbonneau is First Vice President, not only has done nothing about anti-press moves in UN, from the proposed elimination of media workspace in front of the Security Council to the installing of a UN surveillance camera over the entrance to the office of the Press and the new Free UN Coalition for Access. And now this.

  In fact, the trolling social media accounts now claim that the lack of fight back to the elimination of media workspace is tied to the Reuters promoted fantasy of funding by a defunct terrorist group. This is Reuters. Watch this site.

On Minova, DPKO Gets ICP Question, Gives Statement to Reuters Scribe Michelle Nichols

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- Reporting on the 126 rapes in Minova in November by the Congolese Army, Inner City Press before 10 am on Tuesday asked UN sexual violence in conflict envoy Zainab Bangura if the UN was still supporting the two Army units it had said it would suspend.

  Bangura replied to Inner City Press that support had been suspended, but to ask DPKO, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

  Inner City Press immediately asked DPKO and Ban Ki-moon's three top spokespeople, and asked at the noon briefing until cut off by Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky, 

  He said DPKO would answer “quite shortly,” video here from Minute 11:25. But now a responsive statement has been given at least to Reuters, increasingly Herve Ladsous' DPKO's go-to scribe or lapdog, but NOT to Inner City Press. An objection has been filed.

  At 10:14 am on April 16 Inner City Press e-mailed three questions to DPKO spokespeople Kieran Dwyer and Andre-Michel Essoungou, copying Ban Ki-moon's top three spokespeople Martin Nesirky, Eduardo Del Buey and Farhan Haq. On Minova:

At a briefing by Zainab Bangura just now, when I asked her about the Minova rapes she said, among other things,

1) that DPKO has suspended support to the two unit. She then told me to ask DPKO, so I am. Please confirm or deny.

2) that the general of one unit told her they have identified 33 suspected rapists. Please state if that is DPKO's understanding, and if so why the suspension of 12 (and arrest of 3) is considered sufficient by DPKO.

3) that one of the two units was trained by the United States. Is that DPKO's understanding? Please confirm or deny.

  Dwyer confirmed receipt, “I will need to communicate with the mission on the matters related to MONUSCO, and other colleagues on the other matters. I will get back to you. You will understand that this will take a little time. It's not clear to me what you mean by "on deadline" given the nature of your website publishing, but I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

  Inner City Press explained to all addressees, “Last Thursday, April 11 I asked at the noon briefing about the Minova rapes, and you were quoted giving the answer to the question to Reuters (but not Inner City Press) later that same day, which was then later given at the Friday, April 12 noon briefing. Inner City Press complained about that on April 12; the Free UN Coalition for Access is formally objecting. On this, note that Inner City Press has asked you these questions at 10:14 am, April 16.”

  Because the UN should have been able to immediately answer Inner City Press' question about having suspended or not having suspended support, Inner City Press went to the day's UN noon briefing and began asking.

  Nesirky cut the question off, saying that DPKO would be answering “quite shortly.”

  Then, without any response to Inner City Press from DPKO or Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson's office, Reuters via its scribe who has done this (and more) before reported:

“The United Nations said in a statement on Tuesday it was still supporting the two battalions 'in view of a number of recent and appropriate actions being taken by the authorities.'”

  The most recent press release on MONUSCO's web site is from March 24.  Inner City Press immediately wrote to Dwyer, Essoungou, Nesirky, Del Buey and Haq:

I put in Inner City Press' questions at 10:14 am, and was asking at the noon briefing before being cut off and told that DPKO would be giving me answers "quite shortly." ... Now I have just read in Reuters: "The United Nations said in a statement on Tuesday it was still supporting the two battalions 'in view of a number of recent and appropriate actions being taken by the authorities.'"

This is a formal request -- where IS that statement? When and to whom was it given? Why was it not given to Inner City Press? How is this, along with USG Ladsous and spokesman microphone grab of December 18, 2012 and refusing to take questions, in any way acceptable?

  Of Michelle Nichols, Inner City Press has shown, including to Reuters big wigs Stephen J. Adler, Greg McCune, Paul Ingrassia and Walden Siew  and even the company “social media editor,” the filing of a manifestly false complaint with UN Security (in it claiming that when DPKO spoon-feeds information to Reuters, including answers to the questions Inner City Press has asked, it is a “Reuters scoop”). 

  There's more, but the focus is on DPKO's -- and now Ban's Spokesperson's office -- new low. Watch this site.

As Wannabe Hipster Reuters Studies Bloomberg on Tweets and Social Media, Tone Deaf on Free Press, Gramsci on Call?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Media Comparison

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 -- That mega corporations nevertheless want to appear to be hip is, well, a symptom of cultural hegemony. 

  Take Reuters: their business is selling information to high frequency stock traders. In this, they underperform for example Bloomberg and its terminals.

  But Reuters is hip, or wants to be. It has a social media editor, it looks at the business models of BuzzFeed, of Google allowing people to designate heirs for their data -- even of Bloomberg moving to include the tweets of some high profile economists and pundits in their terminals.

  You might think that such a company, seeming to favor the free flow of information and even freedom of the press, would pause when one of its bureau chiefs was caught, via the Freedom of Information Act, lobbying to get a smaller media -- a blogger -- thrown off of a beat. But you'd be wrong.

  In this case, Reuters' UN bureau chief Louis Charbonneau went so far as to threaten that if the UN did not throw Inner City Press out, for articles particularly media critique that it published, he would have no choice but to ask about transferring out of the UN to another beat at Reuters.

  This threat obviously implicates Reuters and the role it has come to play for the UN and some Permanent Missions like those of the UK and France. But did Charbonneau tell his boss about the threat and do they stand behind it? 

  They have been urged to inquire into their UN bureau's anti-Press moves, in their own names and as anonymous trolls.(This has continued.)

  Those asked include, so far, Stephen J. Adler, Editor in Chief, Paul Ingrassia, Deputy Editor in Chief, Walden Siew, Top News Editor, Greg McCune, “Ethics,” and one other. But despite the issues raised, twice now, this mega corporation will not respond or more importantly reform.Hip or a kingdom of trolls?

  To continue with the contrast to Bloomberg -- documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that faced with the same inquiries as Inner City Press sent in June 2012 to the Reuters quartet, Bloomberg's John Walcott, if not Matt Winkler to whom the inquiries were directed, made a decision.

 The Bloomberg correspondent who signed a letter starting the kangaroo court proceeding of the UN Correspondents Association should thereafter not participate in it, or in the campaign. While this has not entirely been carried out, it still show a difference between Bloomberg and Reuters.

  Bloomberg for whatever reason realized that attacking free press may not be a good idea, perhaps or probably only for business reasons. Reuters, the hipster wannabe, still doesn't seem to “get” this. Calling Antonio Gramsci. Watch this site.

As Reuters Brags of Bagging Syria Letters, For & From Whom, Threats to Leave

By Matthew Russell Lee, Media Critique

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 -- In the stand-off between Syria and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's UN on whether to start a chemical weapons probe with one site or agree on more before beginning, the use of who leaks to whom, and why, has come to the fore.

  Reuters brags that Syrian foreign minister Walid al “Moualem also complained about the leak of previous letters exchanged between Syria and the United Nations to Reuters, saying it 'left the impression of a lack of seriousness on the part of the (UN) secretariat on cooperation in good faith.'”

  Beyond the bragging, a question being asked is who leaks to whom, and why? How does a negotiation letter from Syria to Ban Ki-moon and his German negotiator Angela Kane get leaked to Reuters, in Reuters own description?

  Either Ban's UN Secretariat gives it to Reuters, or there is a middle man. Some surmise that Ban's UN gives the letter to the Missions of the UK or France, which in turn give it to Reuters.

  (This is not unlike, at a lower level, the UN's photos of its raid on Inner City Press' office on March 18 being leaked to BuzzFeed on March 21, through an anonymous “Concerned UN Reporter” -- not unrelated to Reuters, not unrelated at all.)

  Journalists general like leaks, and Inner City Press is no exception. But there are different kinds of “leaks.” When the Bush Administration gave material about Iraq to Judith Miller, and she gave them anonymous, was that a good leak? An honorable leak? A “scoop”?

  While an angry individual whistleblower in the UN Secretariat might be one thing, for the Ban Ki-moon administration to intentional leak the negotiating document submitted to it be a member state would be a problem. Since the UN is owned by all 193 member states, who would authorize such a leak?

  But perhaps Ban's UN would think it fine to share Syria's letter with France and the UK (one wonders if this would go the other way). One would expect a “no leaking” commitment be sought and obtained, but who knows?

  While one is for some reason not supposed to say so, Reuters is often used by the UK, French and other other missions for intentional leaks. This makes Reuters' UN bureau and its bureau chief valuable to these important Permanent Five members of the UN Security Council.

  (Again turning to the smaller press freedom picture, this is what makes it so outrageous that Reuters UN bureau chief threatened that if the UN did not throw Inner City Press out, he would have no choice but to ask about transferring out of the UN to another beat at Reuters.

  Given the functions he and Reuters serve at the UN, at least for some important Missions, was that an appropriate threat? Did he inform the big wigs at Reuters about it, and do they stand behind it? 

  They have been urged to inquire into their UN bureau's anti-Press moves, in their own names and as anonymous trolls. (Which has continued.)

  Those asked include, so far, Stephen J. Adler, Editor in Chief, Paul Ingrassia, Deputy Editor in Chief, Walden Siew, Top News Editor, Greg McCune, “Ethics,” and one other. But despite the issues raised, twice now, this mega corporation will not respond or more importantly reform. Kingdom of trolls? Watch this site.