The Episcopal News Service (ENS) bills itself as offering "in-depth reporting and analysis of local, regional, national and international news for Episcopalians and others interested in the church's mission and ministry."

In this case, in-depth coverage has been done mostly by the secular press, church media, and Episcopal bloggers even though the on-going court wranglings are of great interest to "Episcopalians and others interested in the church's mission and ministry" all across the country who follow the strife of the national church and its various dioceses and their local parishes.

"Judge rules in favor of Bishop Lawrence, group that left Episcopal Church," Post & Courier (Feb. 3); "Goodstein Rules Breakaways Can Secede" SC Episcopalians (Feb. 3); "S.C. circuit court rules Diocese of South Carolina can keep property, names and symbols" Times & Democrat (Feb. 3); "Rift among Lowcountry Episcopalians widens as fight continues over properties, name" The State (Feb. 4); "Judge rules that conservative Diocese can split from Episcopal Church" Charisma News (Feb. 4); "Episcopal Church's local parishes plan to appeal judge's ruling" Post & Courier (Feb. 4); "Court rules Diocese of South Carolina, parish churches own property instead of national church" Associated Press (Feb. 4);" SC: Circuit court rules in favor of breakaway diocese; bishop's lawsuit ruling appealed" Episcopal Cafe (Feb. 4); "Breakaway Anglicans Can Keep Churches Worth $500 Million, Rules South Carolina Judge" Christianity Today (Feb. 4); "Ruling SC parishes can keep $500 million in property to be appealed" ABC News 4 (Feb 4); "Episcopalians Lose Ruling" The Living Church (Feb. 4); "Breakaway South Carolina diocese can keep $500 million of church property, judge says" Christian Today (Feb. 4); "South Carolina Decision a Full Vindication for Victims of ECUSA's Oppression" The Anglican Curmudgeon (Feb. 4); "Bishop grateful for ruling that SC parishes own property" Associated Press (Feb. 4); and "Legal battle likely not over for state Episcopal Church, diocese" WCSC 5 News (Feb. 4).

Also: "Breakaway South Carolina Episcopalians win major court case" Christian Century (Feb. 5); "Breakaway Diocese Wins Big in Battle Against the Episcopal Church Over Homosexuality, the 'Uniqueness of Jesus' and More" The Blaze (Feb. 5); "Breakaway U.S. Episcopal churches in South Carolina can keep property -- judge" Reuters (Feb. 5); "Judge sides with breakaway Episcopal churches" Charleston Business Journal (Feb. 5); "Of breakaways, remnants, and Jezebels . . . and getting the terminology right" Locus & Wild Honey (Feb. 5); "Historic ruling rewards conservative Episcopal diocese" One News Now (Feb. 6); "Court Rules in Favor of SC Episcopal Diocese" CBN News (Feb. 6); "Episcopal Church, breakaway diocese steer ahead into complex legal waters" Post & Courier (Feb. 7); "Goodstein's ruling dissolves SC Diocese's historic ties to the Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion" SC Episcopalians (Feb. 8); "SOUTH CAROLINA: The Sanctimonious Claptrap of TECSC Bishop vonRosenberg" VirtueOnline (Feb. 8); "Judge rules that conservative Diocese can split from Episcopal Church" One News Now (Feb. 10); and "Fort Worth Pastoral Letter on South Carolina" Anglican Mainstream (Feb. 11).

Both the Episcopal Diocese OF South Carolina and The Episcopal Church IN South Carolina posted news about Judge Goodstein's court ruling: "South Carolina Circuit Court Rules Diocese of South Carolina and Parish Churches Keep Their Historic Property: The Episcopal Church has no legitimate claims to diocesan property, names and symbols" DIOofSC (Feb. 3); "Ruling issued in Dorchester County case" TECinSC (Feb. 4); A Pastoral Letter from Bishop vonRosenberg" (Feb. 4); and "Grateful: Bishop Lawrence Writes the Diocese Following Ruling" DIOofSC (Feb. 6), but barely a word from The Episcopal News Service, and no comments from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

The news that has kept The Episcopal News Service engaged and created headlines is: "Dallas diocese announces 4 nominees for bishop" (Feb. 3); "Marriage task force calls for gender-neutral language in marriage canon" (Feb. 4); "US interfaith leaders leave Holy Land with deeper sense of possibilities" (Feb. 4); "Texas: Eldest son arrested in murders of vicar, wife and child" (Feb. 5); "Maryland bishop suffragan faces more charges in fatal accident" (Feb. 5); "Partnerships will bring lasting peace to Holy Land, religious leaders say" (Feb. 6); "Cornelia Eaton ordained priest in Navajoland" (Feb. 9); "Presiding Bishop further restricts ministry of Heather Cook" (Feb. 10); "Coal Country Hangout connects youth, community" (Feb. 10); and "Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori Lent Message 2015" (Feb. 10).

The ENS Blog, which posted the short South Carolina story, was kept busy posting such earth-shattering tidbits as: "Roanridge Trust Award Grants for leadership development programs" and " Task Force on Study of Marriage presents final report " (Feb 3); "Joining hands in mission on Feb. 22, Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday " and "Archbishop of Canterbury's speech on religious freedom" (Feb. 4); "Lent Madness 2015 -- Which saint will win the Golden Halo?" ... "CARAVAN interfaith art exhibition opens in Paris"... "General Convention 2015: The Blue Book will be available online" ... EPPN Policy Alert: Protect immigrant families, support executive action" ... "Episcopal Relief, Cornell grow agriculture partnership in Burundi" ... "Educational webinar examines Congolese refugee issues" (Feb. 5); and "Archbishop's address to Synod: Share Jesus with 'joy and delight'" and "Episcopal Church proposed budget available for review" (Feb. 11).

The Diocese of South Carolina is an historic diocese with its spiritual roots going back to 1660, and is one of the original nine Episcopal dioceses, along with the early colonial and post Revolutionary War era dioceses of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware which banded together in 1785 to first form General Convention from which The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States (PECUSA) sprang.

Millions of dollars have been spent in litigation in South Carolina by both sides, while thousands of man hours have been spent in preparing for litigation. Where is the open transparency which allows for the wider church to know what is going on within one of the dioceses? The pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, folding money and checks tossed in the collection plate on Sunday go, in part, to pay for court costs and the massive legal fees that litigation generates. The time, talent and treasure plowed into supporting and maintaining court cases is being funneled off of what could be used to further enhance "the church's mission and ministry."

As "the officially sponsored online news source of The Episcopal Church" the Episcopal News Service has a journalistic responsibility to keep the Episcopalians who people the pews abreast of the news coming out of the court systems, even if that news is less than favorable in its eyes.

By ignoring or downplaying the South Carolina story, ENS is doing a disservice to its own readers by not presenting the story in its entirety -- perceived warts and all.

If TECinSC would have won last week in Judge Goodstein's courtroom, no doubt the Episcopal News Service would have trumpeted the legal victory with banner headlines and a well written in-depth article and follow-up reporting.

Responsible journalism means reporting all the news -- positive (Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday) and negative (Texas priest and his family murdered) -- for the greater edification of the whole church and not just the floating of fluff pieces such as interfaith art exhibitions in Paris or priestly ordinations in the Navajoland or offering informational notices such as Task Force on Study of Marriage presents final report, the release of The Episcopal Church's proposed budget, and the availability of the 2015 Blue Book online.

Disappointing news --- Bishop Heather Cook's legal entanglements ... The Episcopal Church IN South Carolina losing the circuit court ruling ... a Texas Episcopal priest and his family dying at the hands of an older son -- are all a part of the church's news cycle.

It's hard to write the difficult stories, but it must be done, even by The Episcopal News Service.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline