Being on the other side of a microphone can be good medicine for journalists. We need to be reminded of what it feels like to be quoted, especially when our remarks are taken out of context. I always try to channel the people I interview, but in the end, I can only approximate their thoughts, opinions and feelings. Quotes are pure gold but it matters where they are planted; proximate sentences and paragraphs can change their hue and make them appear entirely different.

Facts are important but, in some ways, they are malleable. The ways in which we juxtapose data can change the inference of a story. Journalists are supposed to be objective but we're also human. Sometimes we cross the line and let our feelings leak into our stories, especially when we're reporting on crisis situations that impact people we care about.

When we see news items about people who matter to us, it's only natural to want to point out a discrepancy or to tell the reporter that your friend or relative would never say or do such a thing.

And when we see ourselves reflected back by media, it's like looking in a carnival mirror. It's a distorted picture that represents a snapshot in time, a pale replica of the compassionate, professional people we strive to be.