The advocacy line

There's a fine line in newspapers and other media outlets between reporting on what is newsworthy and advocacy for a certain group (I like to call it "free publicity"). Whenever there is a story published that is sure to be read by more than a few people, there is essentially a sense of advocacy or publicity for that person or group. It seems that groups with a message, most notably, are the ones who seek to gain attention of news organizations (you can't say that we could know Cindy Sheehan if it wasn't for the news coverage surrounding her).

This was most apparent for me when a group of protesters speaking out against the war in Iraq on the 5-year anniversary of the war barricaded the front door of The State News with copies of newspapers, asking they be reprinted because their protest wasn't being covered. Although I thought the littering wasn't the most efficient tactic, their protest of The State News was essentially peaceful. They also followed up the protest with a joint letter that was published in the newspaper.

From the newspaper's standpoint, there is an argument that coverage of the fifth anniversary had been done the previous day since there were two front page stories about the anniversary. Also, it could be argued that the protest organizers, the Greater Lansing Network Against War and Injustice, or GLNAWI, are frequently cited in war protest stories and thus could be receiving free publicity.  From the protesters standpoint, the protest was newsworthy and should be represented by those who print the student's voice.

So at what point does a group become too big for its own good, and what role do newspapers have as gatekeepers for such news? There obviously are those who seek media attention and feed off of it, whether for personal ego or advancement of a personal stance on issues. Consequently, there are media sources who acknowledge this desire for the limelight and are then conflicted on how to approach people who gain from publication.

I believe many of these cases are in need of adjudication on a case-by-case basis, but are there any clear guidelines on when news coverage blurs the line with advocacy?