Watch the film Spotlight, in which we are shown how the Spotlight team at the Boston Globe was able to unravel a 30-year history of institutionalized unwillingness by the Catholic Church across the greater Boston area to deal with child abuse by priests. Those empowered in the Church not only did nothing to stop the abusing priests but at the highest level of Church administration did everything to deny and cover up the abuse.
To what extent did the journalists at the Globe, many of whom were Catholic and from Boston, have to go out of their own comfort zone to do the necessary research and investigative reporting to get the “big picture” on the extent of the problem and to have enough documentation to name names and publish their story? What constraints did they face, not only from the Church, but from their friends, neighbors, lawyers, and the justice system?
What pressures did the journalists face from their own organization (The Boston Globe) that put extra stress on them?
At what point did things “come together” and enable the Spotlight team to go to press? Please be specific in pointing out examples from the film to illustrate your thesis.
Does the story have a neat, happy ending? In your view, why or why not?
