Ethics of Fact v. Opinion

An article published in the July/August issue of the Columbia Journalism Review brought to my attention a real-life example of ethics in journalism. The story, "The Lives of Others," was written about a young journalist's journey to find herself. Instead, she finds a young woman named Tyeisha who manages to escape from Hurricane Katrina only to be killed a few short months later.

The journalist sets off on a journey to help tell Tyeisha's story and instead becomes the subject herself. This points out that journalists do create personal relationships with their subjects and that there is a certain type of bond within that relationship. However, every journalist must understand how to separate oneself from that relationship in order to tell an unbiased story. The journalist should not let themselves become a part of the story, no matter the circumstances. At least this is what journalists are taught fundamentally.

It is up to each individual to critically read stories in order to separate the emotion from the fact. Obviously, it's impossible to completely separate oneself in their writing from absolutely every opinion or bias that they hold. The question is where that thin line is drawn in every article, story, and picture. Where does a journalist cross the line from reporter to advocate?