The Obama administration, already criticized for a lack of
transparency and evenhandedness with the press, today reached a new
milestone when, with a terse accusation of lack of “professional
courtesy and respect,” the U.S. United Nations mission refused without
explanation a request for WND’s veteran U.N. reporter to attend a
government event.
The event: A meeting with U.N. correspondents marking the end of the
month-long tenure of U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice as chief of the Security
Council. The WND reporter: Stewart Stogel, a 25-year U.N. correspondent
who has also worked for ABC News, NBC News and been featured in many
other news outlets including Time and Newsweek.
Stogel requested permission to attend the event by asking Mark Kornblau, director of communications and spokesman for the United States Mission to the United Nations.
“Would appreciate the opportunity to attend Rice’s press reception as her Security Council presidency ends for April,” he wrote to Kornblau.
“When you start treating our Mission with professional courtesy and respect, we will be happy to reciprocate,” was Kornblau’s entire response.
Stogel asked for a further explanation but received none.
A surprised Stogel – one of the most senior U.N. correspondents, who values his long and cordial working relationships with everyone from John Bolton to Ban Ki-moon – told his WND editors he’s never experienced this kind of treatment from any administration except Obama’s.
Stogel, who also currently files stories for the Miami Herald and London Daily Mail, was warned earlier by U.S. officials that he might not be allowed to represent WND in his U.N. reporting, which is why he submitted his request in writing to attend the Rice meeting. He then asked Kornblau for an explanation after receiving his denial.
“I again ask you for particulars,” he wrote to Kornblau. “Mention stories you had a problem with. As I have said before … show me a wrong story and it can be corrected … no problem.”
The response from the mission to Stogel was silence.
Stogel followed up again today, emailing Kornblau: “All I asked for was equal treatment, no more, no less,” he said. “Your incredible and outrageous reply was to ban a senior United Nations resident correspondent, in the top ten in seniority, with a terse note excluding me from attending a press gathering with the president of the Security Council.”
Stogel added, incredulously:
“This has never happened in more 25 years at U.N. headquarters.
“You then allege professional misconduct. I asked you to provide specifics, credible specifics that could be addressed and resolved in a timely manner. You then went silent.
“You can’t provide credible specifics because there are none. I have personally dealt with nine U.S. ambassadors and never ever had my professional integrity questioned, until now. I will ask one final time. Provide specifics and they will be addressed.
“If not, I will seek an official apology from the Secretary of State directly and will use my congressional representatives to get it. I take very seriously unwarranted personal attacks from the United States Department of State.”
read more: http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/lockout-united-nations-shuts-out-wnd/
Stogel requested permission to attend the event by asking Mark Kornblau, director of communications and spokesman for the United States Mission to the United Nations.
“Would appreciate the opportunity to attend Rice’s press reception as her Security Council presidency ends for April,” he wrote to Kornblau.
“When you start treating our Mission with professional courtesy and respect, we will be happy to reciprocate,” was Kornblau’s entire response.
Stogel asked for a further explanation but received none.
A surprised Stogel – one of the most senior U.N. correspondents, who values his long and cordial working relationships with everyone from John Bolton to Ban Ki-moon – told his WND editors he’s never experienced this kind of treatment from any administration except Obama’s.
Stogel, who also currently files stories for the Miami Herald and London Daily Mail, was warned earlier by U.S. officials that he might not be allowed to represent WND in his U.N. reporting, which is why he submitted his request in writing to attend the Rice meeting. He then asked Kornblau for an explanation after receiving his denial.
“I again ask you for particulars,” he wrote to Kornblau. “Mention stories you had a problem with. As I have said before … show me a wrong story and it can be corrected … no problem.”
The response from the mission to Stogel was silence.
Stogel followed up again today, emailing Kornblau: “All I asked for was equal treatment, no more, no less,” he said. “Your incredible and outrageous reply was to ban a senior United Nations resident correspondent, in the top ten in seniority, with a terse note excluding me from attending a press gathering with the president of the Security Council.”
Stogel added, incredulously:
“This has never happened in more 25 years at U.N. headquarters.
“You then allege professional misconduct. I asked you to provide specifics, credible specifics that could be addressed and resolved in a timely manner. You then went silent.
“You can’t provide credible specifics because there are none. I have personally dealt with nine U.S. ambassadors and never ever had my professional integrity questioned, until now. I will ask one final time. Provide specifics and they will be addressed.
“If not, I will seek an official apology from the Secretary of State directly and will use my congressional representatives to get it. I take very seriously unwarranted personal attacks from the United States Department of State.”
read more: http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/lockout-united-nations-shuts-out-wnd/
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