UN journalists threaten to expel reporter

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/jun/20/unitednations-press-freedom

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An extraordinary row has broken out among journalists who cover the United Nations at its New York headquarters. A reporter who works for a small investigative news site, Inner City Press, is in danger of being ejected from the UN correspondents association (UNCA) at the behest of journalistic colleagues.

According to an article in the National Review, Matthew Lee is being investigated for alleged unethical and unprofessional behaviour by a so-called "board of examination" set up by UNCA.

The Review's writer, Brett Schaefer, says: "Journalists both inside and outside the UNCA say the situation is one in which personal animosity has overridden professional judgment."

Lee, who has been responsible for breaking several stories about the UN, has often complained about other journalists failing to credit him for his work.

He has also written stories accusing the UNCA president, Giampaolo Pioli, of a conflict of interest involving Sri Lanka (see here). It is these personal disputes that lie at the heart of the UNCA investigation.

In an email to me from Inner City Press, the organisation concedes that "it isn't always as polite as other journalists would like us to be. We cover unpopular issues like... corruption within the UN's own agencies... We report on conflicts of interest within the press corps..." But, it adds, "is this a reason to eject us?"

Inner City Press argues that "big media is leading the charge against independent journalism" and points out that the examining board includes the UN bureau chiefs of Reuters, Bloomberg and AFP.

UNCA is a self-governing body and membership is not a prerequisite for obtaining UN press credentials, which are granted by the UN media accreditation and liaison unit (MALU).

So Lee's expulsion would not automatically deprive him of UN access. However, it is possible that it might weigh in the balance when he next applies for credentials, due in August.

A MALU spokesperson told Schaefer that UNCA's investigation of Lee would not directly influence its decision.

Lee is regarded as the UN department of public information's least-favourite journalist because he is persistent, is willing to ask uncomfortable questions, and has cultivated an impressive network of sources within the UN. In short, writes Schaefer, "he's a pain in their neck at every press briefing."

But several reporters admit that Lee's reporting is valuable. "Matthew covers the UN like no one else, often scooping much larger news organisations," says the New York Post's Benny Avni. "Matthew digs into how it works — and often into how it doesn't."

And Claudia Rosett, journalist-in-residence at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, notes that Lee "has broken a series of important stories over the years — stories that without his efforts might have gone unnoticed."

Inner City Press, a not-for-profit media outlet based in the Bronx, has been a member of UNCA for five years.

Lee's reporting has been cited in articles about the Middle East in The Guardian (examples here, here and here).

As Schaefer writes: "With all the corruption at the United Nations, you might think that UNCA would have better things to do than pick a fight with a single reporter."

<em>Sources:</em> National Review/Inner City Press