The U.N. and Peace Journalism 

By Cliff Kincaid   
November 25, 2005 
Accuracy in Media
Original Source: http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/4189_0_2_0_C

When the U.N. pays people to produce information or propaganda about the activities of the world body, that is considered a public service not worthy of any negative comment from the liberal press. 

Our major media, led by the New York Times, have gone crazy with outrage over fake news produced by the U.S. Government. Fake news is being defined as news that is tainted by a connection to the Bush Administration. If you get federal money to produce news and information (with the notable exception of liberal-dominated public TV and radio), you've been, by nature, corrupted. However, when the Clinton Administration did the same exact thing, it was never denounced as fake news.  In the same vein, fake news from the United Nations isn't fake news. When the U.N. pays people to produce information or propaganda about the activities of the world body, that is considered a public service not worthy of any negative comment from the liberal press.
Witness the complete lack of outrage over the U.N. Department of Public Information entering the U.S. radio market with blatant pro-U.N. propaganda. A U.N. press release declares that the U.N. now has a one-stop shop' for broadcasters in the United States. This makes it easier to get U.N. propaganda on the air.
The U.N. release declares that through this new U.N. radio service, broadcasters enjoy access to a selection of actualities, as well as complete, unedited audio of the day's meetings, speeches, news conferences and media stakeouts, making it possible for stations to cover the United Nations as never before. As never before—with even less scrutiny of what this organization is really up to.
U.N. Radio News/USA is supported by the United Nations Foundation, the Ted Turner-funded organization. 
It turns out that this foray into radio follows the U.N.'s involvement in book publishing.
UN Radio News/USA is produced by Jerry Piasecki, who also wrote a novel for the U.N. entitled, Marie: In the Shadow of the Lion, which has been used successfully in schools in 15 American states and in more than 17 countries as part of a curriculum to teach children about humanitarian work. The book is written for those between the ages of 12 and 15 years.
One article about Piasecki describes his book as one in a series of Global Peace Schools books. Teachers who use these books in class should be on the lookout for details as to how schools can be designated as 'peace schools' and students as 'peace ambassadors,' the article says.
The global peace curriculum has reportedly been launched in Norman Thomas High School in New York City. Ultimately, organizers want to establish a network of 10,000 peace schools around the world. Each school that participates in the program will be designated a 'United Nations Global Peace School by the U.N.'s Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict.
One of the groups pushing the peace curriculum, Peacewaves, is also pushing the concept of peace journalism. An article on its website declares, The mission of Peace Journalism is to inspire people and help them deepen the understanding of the meaning of life. Journalists and leaders in media outlets themselves need to grasp the unlimited potential of life and deep respect for life, for they cannot convey what they cannot see.
The Piasecki book, available on the web, declares that the U.N. exists, in part, to assure the protection of children around the world.
Meanwhile, the U.N. watchdog unit, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, issued a report on October 18 finding a sharp increase in reported cases of sexual exploitation and abuse of women and children by U.N. peacekeeping personnel. You can find it here.