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TNT Blasts Away at Reporter's Rights

Sandy Nelson's five-year battle to both work as a reporter and remain active in Tacoma political issues is not going to end any time soon if she can help it.
Last month, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Vicki Hogan's ruled that The News Tribune (TNT) of Tacoma did not violate a state campaign practices law when it transferred Nelson off the education beat out of concern for its "objective" coverage. Earlier in the year, Hogan dismissed several of Nelson's state constitutional claims which alleged that TNT had restricted her rights to free speech, assembly and equal political participation.
Despite these setbacks, "I'm optimistic. I'm not ready to give up yet," said Nelson. "I did not sign over my citizenship when I became a journalist," she said.
Nelson's struggle with TNT management began in 1990 when the lesbian reporter became active in a ballot initiative to reinstate discrimination protection to gays and lesbians, which Tacoma voters had rescinded in a referendum. TNT management grew concerned that Nelson's activities might conflict with the paper's "objective coverage," even though the paper never said her reporting was slanted nor had she covered gay and lesbian issues. Nelson refused to cease her activism and was switched to a copy editing slot, a job she still holds today despite her experience as a reporter.
Now that Nelson has lost in the lower courts, her next move will be an appeal. Paul Chuey, one of Nelson's attorneys, said a petition for direct review by the Washington Supreme Court has yet to be filed, but that the Superior Court decision will be appealed.
Meanwhile, the newspaper lobby has been hard at work to ensure that reporters remain politically mute serfs on the Fourth Estate. The Washington Newspaper Publisher's Association sought the amendment of one of the state laws under which Nelson filed her claim. RCW Section 42.17.680, which regulates campaign disclosure practices, forbids discrimination against an employee for, in the words of Subsection 2(c), "in any way supporting or opposing a candidate, ballot proposition, political party, or political committee."
Language pushed through the legislature last month, with additional backing from the Association of Washington Business, would have deleted Subsection 2(c) of the statute. This would have effectively granted private employers like TNT, as well as other non-media private employers, carte blanche to exact retribution for an employee's political activities. After the State Labor Council, local unions and the ACLU got wind of the bill, Gov. Lowry vetoed it and specifically mentioned Nelson's litigation as a reason why the statute should be preserved.
"It would have been possible to sneak this through were it not for some vigilance (by an ACLU lobbyist) in Olympia," said Chuey.
TNT and other papers claim a constitutional interest in maintaining their objectivity. To preserve this interest, the newspaper must have the ability to regulate their reporters' political activities or reassign them.
Of course, that argument assumes you buy into the notion of "objective journalism." Attorney Paul Chuey noted that a published photo showing TNT employees who supported the Gulf War was not exactly "objective." But then a different standard applies to positions endorsed by management.
"Objectivity is a myth," said Nelson. "Why should we give up our rights to maintain a myth?"
Ironically, the trend among big dailies is a return to "public" or "community" journalism, where reporters become more involved with their beats and closely monitor local issues. "That's what I thought I was doing all along," said Nelson.

-Eric Nelson (no relation to Sandy Nelson)

Sandy Nelson coverage continues in...
"Long Arm of the Publisher"


This Censorship Bill Had Its Hands Around Your Throat As It Died

First the conservative pro-censorship legislature creatures came back to Olympia, in stronger numbers then ever, with another bill (SB 5466) vying to broaden the definition of what should be kept out of children's hands. (Is this a case of "We can't corrupt the innocent babies?" or a subcosncious cover up, like.. "Oh, we've fucked up this world for our children, we can't let them see!!")
Then, thankfully, Governor Lowry vetoed the bill.
Next, the state House and Senate rallied for a veto override attempt, but could not agree on which version of the bill to enact into law. The House, run by Republicans, wanted a tough bill. The Senate, run by a slim Democratic majority, wanted a more watered down version.
Finally the bill just died. This censorship bill kissed you on the nose as it croaked.
"Good work guys... we stopped them from touching Grunge again!" Barely... just barely. Now will one of you popular anti-censorship dudes, band or not, please run for the state House or Legislature?


Hotline Lives Up to its Name

When I-164 (see First Word, this issue) was signed into law, the Free Press called the Washington State Legislative Hotline to obtain the exact text of what had been passed. We ordered the I-164 documentation at 4pm on a Thursday and received the packet the very next day!
Thanks to enhancements added in 1992 by the then-Democratic state Legislature and newly elected Governor Lowry, the hotline has been transformed into a first rate operation. The operating budget was increased considerably and now all requests, suggestions and so on, are managed and maintained by a computer network. Prior to the 1994 session the hotline was a pen and pad operation. Now all requests for records and documentation are filled and sent out the day they are received.
Give your local reps a piece of your mind by calling the new improved hotline. It runs whether the Legislature is in session or not and, as always, is toll free: (800) 562-6000. See Webscope on this page for on-line access to the WA State Leg.


Bias Watch

It's kind of chilling when TV reporters use phrases like 'our own' and 'one of us.' It's one of those things our friends at Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) are reminding us to be on the lookout for: language that reveals bias, or assumes we are all the same. Imagine our suprise when the phrases 'our own' and 'one of us' were used by TV reporters to refer to the suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing.
When referring to suspect Timothy McVeigh during a KIRO broadcast, a Channel 7 reporter was heard saying "..it's too bad he was one of us.." (What, he's a reporter?)
And an NBC commentator dramatically finished his heart-wrenching OK City bombing piece with, "..a suspect whose face looks like ours.." (Huh?)
It appears the media were a bit let down that this bombing incident was conducted by white, American terrorists rather than the foreign, non-Christian variety. But you've got to be concerned when reporters' best attempts to wax poetic during a national tragedy only reveal their racism.


Can You Find "Rights & Wrongs" on KCTS?

Way back in the Fall of 1993, the Free Press focused attention on the refusal of KCTS Channel 9 to broadcast "Rights & Wrongs", a weekly half hour show dedicated entirely to human rights issues. The show is hosted by MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour reporter Charlayne Hunter-Gault (see WFP issues #5 and #6).
At the time, KCTS was given a choice by PBS headquarters in Virginia to run the program using local funds or pass it up entirely - and opted for the latter. However, local interest in the show was enough for KCTS to begin running it last year, during its second season.
The show is now going strong in its third season but, unfortunately, has been relegated the graveyard shift: Viewers must stay up late Saturday nights to catch "Rights & Wrongs" at 2 o'clock Sunday morning on Channel 9. When asked why the show was buried in this time slot, a KCTS spokesperson told the Free Press, "There's no space for it anywhere else." It appears, in KCTS' mind at least, that a show dedicated to human rights issues cannot possibly compete for viewership with lengthy documentaries on baseball or aging opera tenors.
If you feel like trying to influence big media, you can contact KCTS at 728-6463. If you have cable or a very strong TV antenna, another local PBS affiliate, KBTC in Tacoma, airs "Rights & Wrongs" at the more humane time of 6:30 on Friday evenings.
This is a great show. Catch it every week even if you have to set your VCR timer, or anyone else's to do it.


800 Numbers You Should Know About

Right-wingers from various groups and affiliations are offering their consituency toll free numbers with which to contact their representatives in DC. The goal, obviously, is to make it easier for the far right wing minority to influence the decisions made by the new conservative Congress .
Fortunately, anyone with a phone can dial these toll free numbers and send a message (on any issue) to their Congressperson and Senators. The best part... the right wing group sponsoring the number picks up the tab for the call.
The so-called Traditional Values Coalition, led by Rev. Lou Sheldon, is sponsoring the number (800) 768-2221. His original intension was to bombard Washington DC with anti-gay messages. You can use it for any issue you are concerned with.
Another number, (800) 444-1555, is sponsored by big business groups who wish to destroy environmental regulations calling themselves the "Alliance for Reasonable Regulation". The "Alliance" is made up of, among others, the Chemical Manufacturer's Assoc., the Natl. Assoc. of Manufacturers, and the Grocery Manufacturers' Assoc. Call this number and defend the environment.
From the "Know thy Enemy" dept. comes a toll free number, (800) 232-6459, sponsored by Focus on the Family. Call this number and they will send you their "literature". Trust us, printing and mailing is not cheap. They pay for all of it and you can always recycle what they send.


Do you have a tasty media morsel for Spike? Do you know of censorship, bias, or other derisive behavior in the print, radio, television or computer media? Send it to the WFP mWAfreepress@gmail.com and get it off your chest.

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Contents on this page were published in the June/July, 1995 edition of the Washington Free Press.
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Copyright © 1995 WFP Collective, Inc.