At UN, Press Was Banned From UNGA Stakeout, Then UN Peacekeeping Censorship and UN Censorship Alliance, FUNCA Says Open It Up

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 15 -- Press access at the UN has continued to decline under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. 

   During last month's General Debate, journalists weren't even been able to go to the General Assembly stakeout without an escort from the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit -- an escort that often does not come on time, or come at all.

  There was, as well, substantive censorship. On September 27 while Inner City Press filmed from within the GA stakeout area, UN Peacekeeping chiefHerve Ladsous came over and blocked -- or Banned -- the filming, demanding to know what it was for. Vine here. Then Ladsous canceled the scheduled public Q&A stakeout on Mali.

  While the new Free UN Coalition for Access challenged this censorship, on September 27 at the stakeout and following up the next week, the old UN Correspondents Association has done nothing about it. In fact, UNCA big wigs have been happy to take private briefings from Ladsous and others, as access at the UN for less "insider" correspondents has continued to decline.

  The Free UN Coalition for Access targeted these censorship practices in aSeptember 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.)

   Now, in a typical UN charade, the very UNCA which oversaw this decrease in access -- proposing rules with the UN to eliminate media workspace at the UN Security Council stakeout, for another example -- belatedly says it is concerned and will conduct a meetings that are akin to faux, scripted wrestling matches with fake punches. This is the UNCA that played softball soccer with Ban, allowing him and promoting a photo op.

  The Free UN Coalition for Access has told the UN it must address and reverse its blocking of press access, and that if it needs input it must hold a meeting open to all journalists who cover the UN, not just its chosen UNCA -- the UN's Censorship Alliance -- which has become akin to a company-created and supported union. 

   Ban's spokesperson's office declined to criticize the September 27 censorship, nor Ladsous' spokesman subsequently asking another media to confirm that it would not air an on the record interview with Ladsous' deputy Edmond Mulet about the UN bringing cholera to Haiti. Video here.

  In fact Ban's Spokesman played a part in, at least defending, a French-only briefing in the UN Press Briefing Room.

On September 23, the entourage of French President Francois Hollanderepeatedly but unsuccessfully ordered the UN accredited Press to leave theUN's Press Briefing Room.  Video here.

  On September 25 when the Free UN Coalition for Access asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who peaked out from the VIP / Green Room behind the Press Briefing Room, about the incident, he said sometimes countries try to reserve the Room.

   Asked if other countries had done so during this General Assembly, Dujarric said yes.

   Inner City Press then asked Dujarric which other countries, beyond his native France:

“based on your answer at today's noon briefing, please state which countries during this UNGA have used the UN Press Briefing Room for briefing not open to all UN correspondents, other than France at 11 am on September 23. Also, what was your role on September 23 around 11 am in the room behind the Press Briefing Room podium?”

 This has been Dujarric's response:

Subject: please state which countries..
From: Stephane Dujarric [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 1:06 PM
To: Inner City Press
Cc: funca

I don't have the information on the first point for you. On the second, I'm not sure that I understand it except that I was just looking into the room. I tend to be a curious person.

Stephane Dujarric (Mr.)
Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters

   FUNCA is left wondering: ARE there any other countries? The question has been asked again by FUNCA, elsewhere. And it has been on HuffPost Live, here. Watch this site.

Footnote: as noted the old UN Correspondents Association, which is given privileged status and set-aside first questions nearly always used for softballs, has done nothing in recent years to improve or even defend press access. In fact, members of UNCA's Executive Committee have tried to get the investigative Press thrown out of the UN, and there have been no reforms since. It's become the UN's Censorship Alliance. They provide Ban Ki-moon with photo ops playing soccer with them. This is today's UN - and FUNCA is fighting to hold the UN to its stated principles.

   

At UN, Stress Test of A/V Snafus, Access Blockages Raised by FUNCA Ignored by DPI While UN Missions Respond

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- The UN spend millions of dollars on a new audio - visual conference system but for weeks there have been complaints about delays, malfunctions, and lack of accountability. There has been a lack of responsiveness, too.

  Some of the UN official most responsible for the snafus in the new system chose the time of shift-over as they time to go on vacation; even when back, they refused to respond to complaints.

  For example, the new Free UN Coalition for Access after fielding complaints both from inside UN headquarters and from those seeking to access the UN from outside, raised the issues to UN Webcast, UN TV, UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit and their supervisor, Stephane Dujarric -- all without recent response.

   The complaints passed on by @FUNCA_info have ranged from delays in putting online archived video of briefings through the so-called MAMS system, to blockages and unnecessarily deteriorated working conditions for journalists at the Security Council stakeout; to blackouts on UN EVTV, for example of BBC, and low sound volume and quality over the live webcast, raised by @FUNCA_Questions.

  @FUNCA_info has also raised, without explanation, favoritism and lack of transparency in the issues of access tickets (for example to Malala Day), to DPI's summaries of meetings being politicized (and even intentionally different in different languages), which was complained of by India in the last Committee on Information meeting, but happened again on Latin American ministers meeting with Ban Ki-moon about NSA spying and Edward Snowden , without explanation once raised.

  FUNCA also provides praise where appropriate, like here. Ironically, countries' mission to the UN answer FUNCA's access questions, while those in the UN charged with these issues try not to. That's this UN.

  UN staff sources describe to Inner City Press and FUNCA a "Town Hall" meeting in mid July in which the Department of Public Information, which controls the above-named units, said that the Department of Management led by Yukio Takasu promised it would all be workin "by the General Assembly," meaning the General Debate week in late September.

  But DPI has not even taken action on simple problems raised to it early in the summer. On June 10, FUNCA and Inner City Press e-mailed Dujarric and others in DPI a description of the photo booths above the floor of the new / interim General Assembly Hall, with tables, a broken chair, and no interpretation of the speeches taking place on the floor.

  A commitment was made to act on it. But nothing has been done since, even as it was raised again in connection with example with a GA session on Syria, or a staged Youth Day event at which Dujarric was present, taking and tweeting photographs of Ban Ki-moon.

  It is noteworthy that at least some in DPI are loud proponents of social media, but refuse to respond to back issues raised to them in such media. Meanwhile their units like UN Webcast tweet welcomes to the new US Ambassador, which they don't do for any other country. Perhaps they think that will give them the immunity the UN claims in Haiti.

  Meanwhile by enforcing an anachronistic monopoly for the old UN Correspondents Association they cut off other means of communication, and have even threatened Inner City Press' accreditation with suspension or withdrawal for merely hanging a sign of the Free UN Coalition for Accesson the door of its shared office, while UNCA now has five signs. It is pathetic.

  On Friday, August 9, Ban's associate spokesperson Farhan Haq read out a short announcement:

On Monday, 12 August, the Department of Public Information and other offices at UN Headquarters will be performing a large-scale testing of the new audio-visual conferencing system. During this test, we will be simulating meetings throughout the system to check the performance and work flows during peak demand periods for the forthcoming General Assembly. This exercise will include the simultaneous testing of every conference room and every studio in the facility. Some of this activity may be seen on the IPTV/EZTV system, and you may experience some disruptions during the time of the test.

  Later on Friday, a range of UN staff contacted Inner City Press, and some explicitly FUNCA, with information about this so-called "stress test." One said, "It's a total fiasco, Patrick Morrrison got his D-1 and he's leaving, money is being wasted everywhere and no one, least of all DPI, is taking responsibility."

   Several urged the Free UN Coalition for Access to keep pushing the issue. And so we will, seeking as from FUNCA's founding to make the UN more accessible, without favoritism or intimidation. Watch this site.

   

Amid UN's Somalia Scam, Envoy Kay Cites Puntland But Not Yet Jubaland, Press Intimidation

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 7 -- On the day the UN belatedly admitted, if only to a friendly scribe, to Inner City Press' exclusive June 22 report on the UN's role in sharing genetic information from Somalia with the US FBI, the UN answered the previous day's Press questions on Puntland and journalists' safety.

  But the UN has still not commented on Jubaland's Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe)'s critique of the government in Mogadishu, delivered at the Kismayo airport, or even disclosed which private military contractor it uses for armed guards.

On August 6, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: In Somalia, there’s been a pretty high-profile announcement by Puntland that they are severing all relations with the central or federal Government. They say that they violated the power sharing in the Constitution. So since there’s UNSOM [United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia] there, I’m wondering, do they have any response, or are they going to try to put things back on track? And there’s been two incidents with journalists, one being a journalist, Mascud Abdulahi Adan, was blocked in the Mogadishu airport from going to get surgery on a bullet in him, in Kenya, and given the [UNSC] debate and what the Secretary-General said, I’m wondering if the Mission or the Secretary-General was aware of that. And also, a journalist was attempted to be assassinated in Kismayo, Abdikhadar Iman Dhaqane. It seems like a lot of things are taking place there, and I’m wondering what the Mission and Mr. Nicholas Kay have to say about them.

Spokesperson Nesirky: I’ll check.

  And at 11:30 am the next day, half an hour before reading it out at the day's noon briefing, Nesirky's office e-mailed the following responses which we therefore publish in full:

Subject: your questions on Somalia
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 11:30 AM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Concerning your question on Puntland, we have the following from UNSOM: “SRSG Kay is aware of reports that Puntland's leadership has unilaterally decided to sever ties with the Federal Government of Somalia over a number of concerns including interpretation of constitutional provisions and implementation of federal arrangements. He will use his good offices to continue dialogue with both the Federal Government and the political leadership of Puntland as they seek mutual understanding on these and other key issues."

Regarding the evacuation of the injured journalist who was shot in Kismayo, UNSOM as the following information: "The journalist was evacuated to Nairobi hospital for surgical treatment on Monday 5 August after the National Union of Journalists (NUSOJ) obtained clearance from the Ministry of Information for his travel. UNSOM will follow up with NUSOJ on the condition of the journalist and to better understand why a journalist working with a non-government owned radio station (Radio Dalsan) would need a letter from the Ministry for emergency medical evacuation."

On the attack on a journalist also in Kismayo: as with all similar cases, attacks against journalists are unacceptable and journalists should be able to carry out their work free of intimidation.

This last is a nice statement. While smaller, but inside the UN's own headquarters, consider this UN communication to Inner City Press, about merely hanging the sign on the door of its shared office of the Free UN Coalition for Access, which works on the defense of journalists, in Somaliland,Somalia, in the UN and elsewhere (On August 5, 6 and so far on August 7, the below have not responded to basic press access questions raised) --

Subject: signs on the door
From: Hua Jiang [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 3:52 PM
To: Inner City Press
Cc: Stephane Dujarric [at] un.org, Isabelle Broyer [at] un.org

Dear Matthew,

We have taken note that you have not until now remove the signs on your office door as per the United Nations Guidelines on Media Access, despite repeated requests communicated to you by emails and verbally by DPI officials.

We reserve the right to take actions according to the Guidelines which stipulate that those violate the rules may have their accreditation withdrawn or suspended.

Best

Hua Jiang
Chief, Press Service, UN DPI

  Of the two individuals cc-ed, the first received and even solicited, including to his private non-UN email address, stealth requests to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN from Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, Agence France Presse,Voice of America and others. 

  The second led a non-consensual raid of Inner City Press' office on March 18, 2013, took photos of the Press' desk and bookshelf and shared them beyond DPI (they later appeared in BuzzFeed, leaked by a “Concerned UN Reporter” account after BuzzFeed called Ban's spokesman for comment on the raid.)

We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

    

At UN, Peacekeeping Budgets Adopted, 3 Vote No, GA Access Blocked, FUNCA Fights

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 28 -- It was a month late when the UN Budget Committee ended its work on Friday afternoon. As UN Peacekeeping budgets were voted on, Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous was not there, though Department of Field Support head Ameerah Haq was.

  Haq said that since the budget estimates were submitted last December, demands grew for peacekeeping in Mali (which will include a listed child soldier recruiter), for an Intervention Brigade in the Congo (in advance of which the DRC Sanctions report was against predictably leaked) and for UNDOF in Syria.

  An evaluation unit that Ladsous had proposed was re-named “Strategic Partnerships.” Of all the peacekeeping missions, only the one in Lebanon drew a recorded vote, with only Israel, Canada and the US voting no, on a reference to previous Israeli damage to the mission. From a photo booth above the interim General Assembly floor, Inner City Press tweeted out the vote results.

  There were farewells to Fifth Committee members now returning to their countries -- from a Westerner, to Belgium, Ireland and the UK -- and to the Committee's chairperson for the year, Miguel Berger of Germany. India's Majeev Singh Puri offered fulsome praise: this is what the UN can accomplish when it get down to work.

  But journalistic work is being hindered. Back on June 10, the new Free UN Coalition for Access complained to the UN Department of Public Information that the media was not allowed anywhere but the photo booths above the floor, where there were no tables to work on, and no translation.

  DPI replied, falsely, that this was as much as access as existed before -- ignoring the fourth floor balcony from which the press and public could watch the GA -- and said “we will look into the issue of furniture” in the photo booth -- that is, any furniture to work on.

  But 18 days later, when the General Assembly voted on billions of dollars in peacekeeping budgets, there was no one from DPI there to even let the press up to the photo booths.

   @FUNCA_info reached out twice on Friday to UN Media Liaison. FUNCA has embraced virtual communication, particularly given DPI's repeated attempt to crack down even on a single FUNCA sign, while its favored and largely invisible UNCA has two signs, and a big meeting room that is locked (more on that soon).

   But there was no response from the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit. Inner City Press was assisted by another up to the photo booth, and attempted to cover the GA meeting. But when Syria spoke after the UNIFIL vote in Arabic - there was no translation headset in the booth. UNCA is dead or dying, fine -- but what is DPI doing? Watch this site.

  

As UN Bans Press From Back of General Assembly, Ignores Past as on UNSC, Still Murky Rules Final on June 11?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 -- As the UN reduces media access it is not even honest about it. There is the pending, at least until tomorrow, matter of eliminating the media worktable that existed in front of the Security Council before and during the relocation for the $2 billion Capital Master Plan renovation.

   And now there is the elimination of seats from the press and public in back or upper deck of the General Assembly Hall.

   For the new relocation of the General Assembly to the UN's North Lawn building, now the only way journalists can cover it is in a few photo booths: there are no other press seats. 

  But in an e-mail Monday evening to Inner City Press, which protested on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access, the UN claims that this is "exactly the same manner as in the permanent facility."

  That is false, as it ignores the press seats in the back upper desk of the "permanent facility," just as the UN's response on the Security Council was false, ignoring that a media table was in use well before the relocation.

  With these, to be diplomatic, factual disagreements, how can the UN Department of Public Information now be prepared to finalize a disputed set of Media Access Guidelines on June 11? 

  But that is what DPI, in its e-mail response to Inner City Press and FUNCA after close of business on June 10 said it is going to do.

   After being turned away from even the back of the room of the temporary General Assembly Hall on June 10, Inner City Press wrote to the three highest DPI officials in part that:

On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, the trigger for this communication is the lack of facilities for the media to cover the 'new' General Assembly in the North Lawn building. We hope this is useful. This afternoon I came to cover the (open) General Assembly meeting on HIV/AIDS, UNCTAD, Fifth Committee and other matters. I was not allowed to enter the combined former ECOSOC and Conference Room; a Security Officer told me to 'call DPI.' It was explained to me that the ONLY way for the media to cover the new GA is from a small number of booths above the GA floor.

Clearly, this lack of media space will not suffice for future GA meetings, particularly but not only during General Debate week. On behalf of FUNCA, this is a request that media access be expanded to include back of the GA hall, more booths, more access.

I also note that in the media booths, at least on the former ECOSOC / East River side, there were no tables in in the two booths, and only one chair in each. Even to upload photographs via laptops, tables should be there.

This is even more true with regard to the Security Council stakeout. FUNCA is opposed to the currently pending draft media access guidelines, and urges that it not be finalized until this issue is resolved.

We wish to emphasize again: for particular parts of the UN press corps (that we have explained) and also specifically for new media coverage of the UNSC, which involves speaking with diplomats about a range of issues and producing a number of shorter pieces while still taking in new information, workspace -- at least a table or surface to type on -- at the UNSC is imperative. It harms no one, and it should not be allowed to be blocked.

Without for now getting back into the propriety of the UN automatically giving the first question to UNCA, which does not represent all correspondents and which, significantly on this question, charges dues (leading to a situation in which, for the payment of money, one class of correspondents is formally given precedent over other, non money paying correspondents), FUNCA wishes to state in advance that the installation of an "UNCA" sign on any seat would be inappropriate, particularly in light of the pending rule purporting to ban the posting of the name of alternative organizations even on journalist's doors. (That is unacceptable).

  After 6 pm, UN DPI official Stephane Dujarric -- we've been asked not to personalize, and so here have not -- wrote back that:

From: Stephane Dujarric [at] un.org
Subject: Re: FUNCA inquiry on UNGA media access, options for media workspace at UNSC, thanks
To: FUNCA [at] funca.info; Cc's
Date: Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 6:07 PM

Dear Matthew, Thanks for your email. Because of the renovation of the GA hall, the meetings of the General Assembly have been temporarily moved to a large conference room in the North Lawn Building.

Journalists wanting to cover meetings of the General Assembly in the temporary hall will do so in exactly the same manner as in the permanent facility. That means that you can either watch the meetings from a booth if you are taking pictures or video taping it, or you can follow the meeting on the webcast from your office or your laptop. Journalists were not allowed on the floor of the General Assembly hall in the permanent facility during official meetings and that will be the case in the North Lawn Building temporary GA Hall.

As to the size of the booths and the number of booths in the temporary GA Hall, while we can not increase the size nor the number we will look into the issue of furniture.

On the guidelines, we plan to issue them tomorrow. As you will see, some of your suggestions have informed the final content of the document.

Stephane Dujarric (Mr.), Director
News & Media Division | Department of Public Information
United Nations Headquarters | New York, NY, 10017

  Again, we've been asked not to personalize, and so here have not. But will the rules alluded to try to ban the signs of one organization but not another? Watch this site.

UK Contradictions on Somaliland & Falklands, Mistranscribing on Table, DFID Flights

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 -- While the UK now takes the lead on Somalia, getting Nicholas Kay appointed UN envoy and chairing today's Security Council debate about the country, it does not seem to take seriously the arguments for independence of Somaliland, as well as Puntland and Jubaland. Click here and here for previous Inner City Press stories on this.

  Meanwhile, in the midst of the Somalia debate in the Security Council, UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant re-tweeted about the right of self-determination of people in the Falkland Islands. What about self-determination in Hargeisa?

  There are questions, too, about the UN system handing Somaliland's airspace to Mogadishu, and the role of a UK DFID funded airline. A journalist in the region got the run-around from UN OCHA (the type of UN systemwide stonewalling the Free UN Coalition for Access is trying to counter-act) and requested that this be asked:

“Is it true, USAID and DIFD yearly cover overall expenses incurring UNHAS running cost in Somalia? If yes, why UNDP staff paid expenses on flight and persuaded to use UNHAS instead of EU chartered airlines which is free?"

The answer provided by a "UN spokesperson in Somalia" was this:

“Following notification by authorities in Somaliland, all UN flights to and from Somaliland have been suspended with effect from yesterday at 6pm. The United Nations and its agencies are taking this transportation issue seriously and are in discussions with the relevant authorities to bring about a resolution as quickly as possible. There has been no impact on ongoing UN programmes and it is our priority to ensure no interruption of support or activities. The UN welcomes the ongoing efforts to resolve this quickly.”

If that were the focus, why hand over the airspace? Here's what Lyall Grant said on Thursday:

"One of the very important roles that needs to take place in parallel with the security and stability aspect is the formulation and agreement of the constitutional relationship that will exist between the Federal Government of Somalia and some of the Somali regions, so Somaliland, Puntland and Jubaland and other regions. And one of the important roles that the Federal government of Somalia and the representatives of those regions have in the immediate future is to begin the process of dialogue to make sure that a constitutional settlement can be reached."

  What was that again, about self-determination?

  As we've inquired into May 21 and reported on since, one or more times a day, the UK is presiding over the roll-back in (new) media access to the Security Council from what existed not only during the Council's renovation relocation but also before it. 

  When Inner City Press for FUNCA asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant if he supported continued media workspace at the Council and if so what he would do about it, Lyall Grant said this is a matter for the UN Department of Public Information and "the journalists" -- it's becoming clear which journalists. See UK Mission "World Press Freedom Day" video, here.

Even the UK's transcript of Lyall Grant's press conference mis-represents the questions. It's always easier to dodge a question other than the one asked. Compare UN web cast video here, from Minute 17:32, to this (mis) transcription:

"media work table used to be in front of Security Council has been moved. Do you think that there should be one so reporters can stay throughout consultations so reporters can speak with people going in and out? What will you do if you think it should be replaced?"

Actually said, or asked was if Lyall Grant and UK believe that the media access and press worktable should to maintained, and "I you believe that, what will you do to make sure it takes place?"

The question was not about the table being "replaced." There's more. We are, as noted, experimenting. Watch this site.

UK Positions on Somalialand, Press Freedom, Mau Mau, Echoes & Tweets

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 -- The UK is very concerned about Somalia. How else to explain their Africa Minister Mark Simmonds arriving in New York to chair a Somalia meeting of the UN Security Council under the UK's presidency, just as the UK's Nicholas Kay takes over the UN mission in Mogadishu?

  We say Mogadishu because it remain unclear, at least to us, what the UK's stance is on Somalialand, its former colony. The UN system handed over its airspace to Mogadishu as well, despite the impact on flights which could have but were not replaced by the EU-funded "Humanitarian Air Service."

  Somaliland couldn't even get their letter to the Security Council circulated to the 15 members earlier this year. Even news of the letter was tightly controlled. But has that become the UK way?

  As we've inquired into since May, and reported on each day this month, the UK is literally presiding over the roll-back in (new) media access to the Security Council from what existed not only during the Council's renovation relocation but also before it. 

  Before, there was a media worktable right by the Council's entrance and journalists could work there with laptops and speak to diplomats and UN officials like Kay now in as they met in and out of the Council.

Now there is a rule, agreed to by the old UN Correspondents Association executive committee largely dominated by UK favorite Reuters as wells the BBC which for now provides:

"f. The Security Council stakeout area, including the Turkish Lounge, is not to be used as a permanent workspace for the media."

Even a small fold-able table set up by the new Free UN Coalition for Access on June 3, the first working day of the UK presidency, was seized and taken away. Very funny.

  Then when Inner City Press for FUNCA asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant if he supported continued media workspace at the Council and if so what he would do about it, Lyall Grant said this is a matter for the UN Department of Public Information and "the journalists" -- it's becoming clear which journalists. Even the UK's transcript of Lyall Grant's press conference mis-represents the questions. Is always easier to dodge a question other than the one asked. Compare transcript to UN web cast video, from Minute 17:32.

Who is responsible? In other news, the UK apologizes for Mau Mau torture - but says it is not liable.

So coming full circle, what will be the UK's position on press freedom in Somalia, say? They want to be close to the new government, and so operate with kid gloves.

Even when, despite their position on blog-style new media reporting at the Security Council, their diplomats respond on social media, as UK ambassador to Jordan Peter Millett did yesterday, they speak in grand principles which are not tied down and applied what's actually in front of them, like Jordon blocking over 200 web sites. We are, as noted, experimenting. Watch this site.

Silent on UN Security Council Media Access, UNCA Trolls Say Faceless Is The(ir) Only Way

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 4 -- As the UK as president adopted its UN Security Council program of work on Tuesday morning, outside for the second day in a row -- the second day in years -- there was no media worktable. 

  Inner City Press has been shown a rule that would ban media workspace, and even discourage journalists' presence when the Council is not in formal session.

But it's worse. As Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have been advocating for restoration of the media access that existed before, anonymous social media accounts associated with the old UN Correspondents Association have not only been arguing AGAINST media workspace, but presenting their method of work as the only one. 

   This method seems to involve rarely coming to the Security Council stakeout, and only speaking to Western P-3 ambassadors or more frequently their spokespeople.

  One small message, sent mid Tuesday morning, was to chide Inner City Press that "Real journalists report and investigate the news - they don't create it!" That is, real journalists are faceless pass-throughs for those in power.

  That came from an account which previously sent a cell phone photograph from the storage room behind the temporary Security Council location. It is from a journalist at the UN, and one closely involved with UNCA. We will have more on this in the days to come.

  Where was the president of UNCA, Pamela Falk of CBS, during all this? Not at the stakeout. (Several of her board members who have tried to get smaller more investigative press thrown out of the UN were: Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, Tim Witcher of AFP, there's more).

  Nor obviously was Falk doing anything to rein in her UNCA trolls, of which she has been informed since at latest February 22. Rather she was getting ready to try to claim the first question about the Democratic Republic of Congo at the noon briefing, to UN official Kyung-wha Kang.

  To what end? Does she ever report on this on CBS? Or is it simply a make-up question to promote UNCA or herself? These might seem like tough questions, but at least they are on the record. It is UNCA and certain lazy, faceless and resentful big media reporters on its and its affiliate's boards who for months has been hiding behind anonymous accounts. They have hit a new low. Watch this site.