At UN Former AP
Ian Phillips Refuses Press
Questions for a Week on Gaza
& UN Censorship
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
UN GATE,
Jan 23 – Does the UN corrupt
everyone that goes to work for
it?
Given the
inflated salaries it pays its
officials, the UN can collect
and try to buttress its
credibility with for example
name-brand journalists. But
what freedoms do they give up,
and how low do they
go?
In 2023 the UN
hired Ian Phillips, once the
Associated Press' head of (get
this) journalist safety. His
LinkedIn profile,
after moving to the UN, states
that his "role includes
advisory and policy work, with
particular focus on press
freedom."
So Inner City
Press, having been roughed up
by UN Security and then banned
from entering or getting even
its written questions asked,
last week wrote to Ian
Phillips at the UN - and
through his LinkedIn profile:
Hello Mr.
Phillips. I am writing to you
as a journalist who covers the
UN, but for now cannot enter
the building, nor get written
questions
answered. These
days I cover the SDNY Federal
Courthouse... I am
asking you to look into this
and ensure that the UN Media
and Accreditation Unit fairly
process, and rule on, my
pending application
for (re)
accreditation. Two
separate law firms have
written the UN pro bono on my
behalf, without answer. I ask
for you to get involved and
resolve this, and allow Inner
City Press and me back into
the UN. I am available
to discuss this and answer any
questions, by email, phone, DM
or in person."
No
answer at all. Is the money
too good? Does journalist
safety and free press only
count when it is not the UN
doing the roughing up, and the
censoring?
In the past few
days, we've sent our daily
press questions to Mr.
Phillips as well, since he's
the head of the UN's "News and
Media Division." Questions
about Gaza and the Secretary
General's finances. And no
answers at all.
So
again: Does the UN
corrupt everyone that goes to
work for it? We will continue
to report on this.
***
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