She was taken off her education beat and given a job on the paper's copy desk - editing other reporters' stories and writing headlines. The fact I'm here now is a credit to my work during my off hours. She twice appealed her transfer without success to the National Labor Relations Board. She fought management over the downgrading, again without success. Nelson's story is not unique to today's journalism industry.
Many companies disallow reporters from having so much as political bumper stickers on their cars.
Others are more lenient. When Nelson was hired 10 years ago, however, she was working under a guild contract that allowed reporters to engage in outside political activity, so long as they did not run for political office, Nelson said. Then, in 1986, the Sacramento-based McClatchy Corporation bought the News Tribune , fired the editorial staff, canceled their union contracts and forced staffers to reapply for their jobs. Nelson and most other newsroom staffers quickly got their jobs back. But the union and management couldn't agree on a new ethics code stipulating an acceptable level of reporters' political involvement.