‘Spotlight’ on journalists

Ever since Hollywood started making movies, they’ve been making them about newspapers and journalists. One of the very best new movies this year is another one about newspapers.
The movie is “Spotlight.” It is about The Boston Globe and its special investigative reporting team that uncovered widespread sexual abuse of children by Boston-area Catholic priests, first published in 2002. The reporters won a Pulitizer Prize and the story spread worldwide, exposing hundreds of abusive priests, secret settlements and attempted coverups all the way from the Vatican to here at the Diocese of Santa Rosa. (Local cases here involved 17 abusive priests, $25 million in settlements and multiple dozens of young victims.)
The movie is about extremely dedicated journalists who worked for almost two years to tell an ugly story that almost no one wanted to know about — until they did.
Watching the movie as a fellow journalist leaves a very unique set of emotions, validations and a sense of pride and purpose. Other movie viewers will like the movie because of great acting, crime-solving action and tight storytelling.
Hopefully, everyone can come away with a belief that news reporters and fellow journalists are still important to today’s world and that their hard work at low pay still does some good.
The movie “Spotlight” will probably become many people’s new favorite movie about newspapers, added to a list that includes Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” and the Woodward-Bernstein Watergate tale, “All the President’s Men.” (Our favorite newspaper movie is “Superman” because Clark Kent was a news reporter by day when he wasn’t flying around in his red cape.)
What difference does it make if the people of Boston (or Santa Rosa) are told about coverups inside the Catholic Church to protect or hide abusive priests? What should it matter to anyone else if the innocent victims are given money settlements by the church to buy their silence? What if those newspaper stories ruined the reputation or good work of local Catholic bishops, diocese offices or parishes?
In the movie (and real story) The Boston Globe reporters and editors were often told to stop asking questions and to quit investigating. Church officials warned that any news reports on the topic would create unnecessary controversy.
With no promise of reward, praise or money, the Globe journalists ploughed ahead under threat of criticism and possible legal action. Their first story told about 34 years of child abuse by almost 80 priests, including John J. Geoghan, with 130 known victims.
Here at this newspaper we can’t recall reporting on any scandals this big. But that’s not the point. Isn’t a single abused child as important as 130 or more? Shouldn’t one pedophile priest be stopped if he exists? Who is left to watch for these hidden crimes and tell these stories if there is no journalist or newspaper?
The scandals or wrongdoings don’t have to be about sexual abuse. Abuse of power, privilige or violation of public trust are just as important to investigate. Not every crime or miscarriage of justice finds its way to court. In fact, many stories like the abuse of Presidential powers in the Watergate saga, are the sole province of newspapers.
We hope as many people as possible see the movie “Spotlight” because lately, newspapers and journalists have been getting some bad raps. The public needs to be reminded that not only can you “trust” journalists, but sometimes they are the last and best defense against all other mistrust.
During a recent Republican presidential candidates’ debate, some candidates complained that journalists were asking antagonistic questions. Too many politicians these days love to bash “the media.” It’s not only Donald Trump who defends a wrong version of the truth by attacking fact-checking journalists.
Without dogged journalists the Boston Catholic Church might still be covering up for child molesting priests and Mr. Trump could be your next president.
— Rollie Atkinson