Karla Homolka has been back in the public eye, and Canadians are a bit split on how much they want to see of her and how they want the story treated, says a new poll.

The Strategic Counsel conducted the poll for CTV and The Globe and Mail. Here are its media-related findings:

... Canadians were split on whether the media coverage was appropriate.

About 50 per cent of the general public thought the coverage was fitting, while 9 per cent thought it was restrained, and 41 per cent thought it had been overly sensationalized.

At the same time, 48 per cent felt there was too much coverage, while 44 per cent thought there was the right amount, and 8 per cent felt there wasn't enough.

I'm not sure how to interpret those numbers. I don't think you'll ever get 100 per cent of the public to say the amount and type of coverage was fitting.

When I was a court reporter and reported a sensational trial straight-up, I was sometimes accused of sensationalizing. But to my mind, sensationalizing means some degree of amplification. If you're just saying what happened, that's reportage.

The Homolka/Bernardo case was one of the most sensational of our time, and to paraphrase Christina McCall and Stephen Clarkson, she haunts us still.