Context is the issue. We rarely report or have information about the background of a crime. Part of the problem is how we journalists see ourselves. We think of ourselves as impartial chroniclers of events, not agents for change. When we use police and prosecutors as our primary sources, we craft a report that emphasizes problems with the system or defective individuals as main causes of crime.
Social causes are almost never at issue, and there are few remedies beyond incarceration.
Social change isn't suggested by law enforcement, nor do journalists generally feel comfortable suggesting it. It is difficult for us, and possibly also for the police, to view crime as the result of a flawed society. If that were the case, the difficulties could appear insurmountable. We are very good at covering arrests, and we are good at covering convictions. But we do both as isolated activities.