Ever since the War on Iraq broke out last year, the Chronicle, San Francisco's monopoly daily, has forbidden its employees from taking part in any political act or statement, aside from voting. According to the Chron's revised ethics code, any public political statement by a reporter creates a "conflict of interest," which could lead to accusations of "bias" and jeopardize the paper's "credibility." Last year, technology writer Henry Norr was let go for participating in civil disobedience against the war. Rachel Gordon and photographer Liz Mangelsdorf were barred from covering SF’s same-sex marriages after they married each other, and veteran letters page editor William Pates was sent home on leave for making a $400 campaign contribution. Editorial page editor John Diaz states that even "a bumper sticker would definitely be a concern" as a violation of the code.

According to Ted Glasser, director of Stanford’s Graduate Journalism Program, reporters' biases won’t disappear simply because they’re not allowed to put bumper stickers on their cars. "The policy doesn’t prevent conflicts of interest, it just encourages employees to hide their interests," says Gasser. This makes it more difficult for readers to critically evaluate what they read.

The Chron’s stated commitment to "neutrality" conflicts with the behavior of its top executives; Chairman of the Board George Hearst donated $30,000 to Republican candidates and committees in the 2000–2004 elections. Chron policy is also in violation of California State Labor Code, which provides for up to a year of jail time for employers caught "forbidding or preventing employees from engaging or participating in politics." Hearst executives can rest easy for the moment; employees who have been affected by the ethics code have so far chosen to settle privately instead of pursuing legal action.
Full story by Sarah Norr