Is this a novel or a newspaper?

"All he could think about was the police drawing their guns on Eugene in a case of mistaken identity.  Carl had to hurry.  'I'll bring him to you,' Carl said.  'Give me 10 minutes.'" 

I thought Hull's "Metal to Bone" article was a prime example of how truly great crime reporting can be just as gripping and powerful as any fictitious TV crime show - or even more so. I was completely drawn in and captured by Hull's explanation of the crime, the victim, and the criminal. I quoted the last two lines of the article, which really left me wanting more.  But because this article was the first installment of a series, this was exactly how the article wanted to leave the reader feeling. 

I also thought this article served as an interesting contrast to the crime reporting we've predominately been studying and writing.  That writing has been the exact opposite to what Hull's article displays: it was stark, short, and to the point.  Here, Hull turns crime reporting into an insightful narrative; as the abstract says, she brings the police reports and mug shots to life.  However, I'm not trying to bash the short crime blurb; sometimes, this form of crime reporting is the only form appropriate, due to timeliness and limitations on information.