(Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
We live in the era of fake news–a time of cynicism toward the media–and it is difficult to know where to turn for objective reporting. Sometimes it is easy to forget an important fact: journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
In 2001, a small, four-person investigative unit at The Boston Globe began investigating Father John Geoghan–a local Catholic priest that had molested children. Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of Boston, had been aware of the molestations, swept them under the rug, and reassigned Geoghan to other parishes as needed. His youngest victim was four years old.
When the investigative team, aptly named “Spotlight,” began to dig into the story, they soon realized the breadth of the scandal. They uncovered eighty-seven priests in Boston that had molested children and a cover-up effort that reached as far as the Vatican.
At that time, with over half the population belonging to the Catholic church, Boston was “the most Catholic city” in America. Bostonians held tightly to their Catholic roots, and the church had tremendous power and influence. This grip made Spotlight’s task a difficult one, and the investigation took a toll, but they persevered.
On January 6, 2002, The Boston Globe published their article entitled “Church Allowed Abuse by Priest For Years.” They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service for their “courageous, comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy, stirred local, national and international reaction and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church." They brought a sense of closure to the victims and continued to report on the issue long afterward.
In 2015, the critically acclaimed film, Spotlight, told the story of these four journalists and their unprecedented quest for truth and justice. In this era of fake news, it is a film that serves as a reminder of what journalism stands for. If you have not seen it, there has never been a better time.
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