Focused and Comprehensive Coverage Equal Perfection. Let's pray that I can one day deliver.

When should the focus of a news article differ from the newsworthy event that sparked the article? It seems that articles with singular focus yet comprehensive coverage have become rare. For the reader in me, an article with a single focus AND balanced, full coverage of the events would equal perfection.

Maybe what I've learned as a media student has given me a more critical eye or I'm simply a sucker for the details, but I've found myself reading articles and wondering why more than 50% of an article focuses on something other than the reason for the article.

An article I read today left me quite torn. A suspected murderer committed suicide, but the article focused much more on the victim, a Kansas law student and philanthropist. The suicide news came just one day after the victim's body was found, which is why (I'm guessing) the story had a victim-centered focus. I'm torn because, while the story had great information on what took place and did an excellent job of capturing the life of the victim, the article's coverage of the suspect was not comprehensive.

I understand the article would have to give the public a balanced picture of the deceased, respect grieving families and maintain an accurate view of the facts. This story almost did that, but fell just short enough for me to have to do some online research of my own (oh...and blog about it). The article faltered when most of the information on the now deceased suspect came from distant parties -- a police record, an art gallery owner and the ever-faithful MySpace. Still, a family member, co-workers, friends and a professor spoke fondly of the victim.

I anticipated the victim would receive delicate treatment, out of respect for the tragic loss of life and for those grieving. However, the treatment of the suspect really seemed "safe" and somewhat nonchalant. The writer gave us some tidbits about his art and prior police record, but how about some information on how long he had known the victim. It didn't even tell me if he worked or what area of town he was from!

I've not had to write a story on a murder, a suicide or a murder-suicide, but I imagine finding a balance for the story is no easy task. Since I know how difficult reporting has been for me, I don't want to seem harsh. On the other hand, as a reader, I expect all of my questions answered.

Maybe, I'm just nosey and it's possible there's not much more to this man that committed suicide. Yet, I doubt it. Tell me why he came to the United States. How did he meet the victim? Did he have a history of mental illness? I want to know how long he had been dating the victim and if they were having problems, etc. The headline read, "Man held in death of KU student kills himself," but the story told me more about the victim's life, education and achievements than the untimely death of the pair.

I guess I just anticipated a more comprehensive article, like the coverage of the Said killings. Maybe that perfect article's just waiting for the editor's okay, and I'm just impatient. Maybe law school has depleted my good-sense and I can only focus on a single issue at a time. Either way, I wasn't satisfied. :(

Eh...love me or leave me. You were probably asking the same questions!