Bravo: NY Times Finally Moves beyond Catholic Church, Explores Abuse and Cover-ups Elsewhere

By Dave Pierre
Media Report
May 17, 2012

http://www.themediareport.com/2012/05/17/ny-times-ray-rivera-sharon-otterman/

Moving beyond the Catholic Church at the NY Times: Ray Rivera and Sharon Otterman

In the last week, the New York Times has published no less than three items (1, 2, 3) related to large-scale child abuse and cover-ups in New York City's Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.

Is the Times finally moving beyond its single-minded obsession with decades-old cases involving the Catholic Church? Kudos to the paper's Ray Rivera and Sharon Otterman for breaking the mold in their bold coverage, which may prevent many innocent children from being harmed in the future.

How far will the Times go?

The Times' coverage is encouraging, because the more light that is shined on the paramount issue of child abuse, then the more likely that children will be protected.

However, will the Times expand its investigative forces into looking into the massive abuses and cover-ups happening today in one of its most beloved secular institutions, the public school system? Just in February of this year, six teachers were arrested on sickening child abuse charges – just in New York City alone! In 2011, there were 561 complaints of "sexually questionable conduct" by New York City teachers. Surely this is an important story worth exploring.

Will the Times' Maureen Dowd evolve past her apparent belief that the gruesome crime of child abuse has not just been an episode exclusive to the Catholic Church in decades past? (Well, maybe that's wishful thinking …)

Stay tuned.