artistic narrative is a poetic presentation. documentary truth is something else.

once you take that aboard. the facts (or your selection of them) are a bit like a kaleidoscope - give them a shake and the pattern you present can be comic, or it may be tragic, pathos inducing.

it sort of depends on your personality - whether you want to make people laugh, cry, be stirred to action....tears of compassion, anger.

I tend to think your personality is what is actually making the statement - rather than the documentary facts,

a good example of this - there are political decisions the results of which make you weep - but the usual ploy is to take the piss.