News Values- Appropriate?

Given that Hurricane Ike has caused so much destruction in several different aspects of life in Texas, you would think they wouldn't have to come up with a story like this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26725188/

Is impartiality still a necessity?

In my media institutions class yesterday, we discussed the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and stations like PBS. The values of such stations are meant to be in the public interest; one of the most difficult values to define is that of balance and impartiality. Though in class we were talking specifically about PBS, the question of necessity of impartiality in print and broadcast journalism came up as well. Is it impossible, in today's very politically divided country, to be "fair and balanced" in presenting the news? I think to some degree, objectivity in the news doesn't exist. No matter how a news story is presented, audiences of different backgrounds and ideologies are going to interpret it differently. Even news that seems cut and dry to one person might have implications for another person.
This is a topic that could be talked about forever, with no clear answer, because the media is constantly changing.