A story may inform, persuade or entertain. It's that simple.
Columnists have a point of view, which they are obligated to pass on to the reader.
Reporters, on the other hand, are obligated to stick to the facts, who, what, where, when, why. News stories are supposed to be unbiased. All of which led to a moving column that told the story of a family rebuffed by a church that preaches love, compassion and understanding. By Monday night Fitzgerald's column was morphed into TV news. A television reporter tracked down the people involved, turned on a camera, stuck a microphone in their faces.