Good Journalism Key to Local Church Saga

West Seneca Bee
December 11, 2019

https://www.westsenecabee.com/articles/good-journalism-key-to-local-church-saga/

Just over a week ago, Diocese of Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone resigned under immense pressure. Local Catholics or, frankly, anyone who pays attention to the news in Western New York knows why. Parishioners, local politicians and lay people involved in local Catholic institutions were fed up with Bishop Malone’s lack of action in disciplining or investigating priests who were accused of abuse.

His resignation and whatever looming shakeup happens in the coming years will forever change the structure of the church in a region where Catholicism is especially prominent. Voices that are usually silenced were heard, abusive priests have been punished and massive lawsuits have been launched.

None of this would have happened without quality reporting by multiple local outlets. Of course, Michael Whalen deserves credit for sparking the whole story, after bravely and publicly sharing his story more than 18 months ago of abuse at the hands of a priest.

Whalen’s story led Buffalo News reporter Jay Tokasz to investigate further, leading to a confirmation of the abuse by the perpetrator, Norbert Orsolits. This set off a trend of others sharing their story of abuse, with dozens and eventually hundreds of former or current local priests being accused of some form of abuse.

Later, Malone’s secretary Siobhan O’Connor leaked incriminating documents to WKBW-TV reporter Charlie Specht, adding another layer to the story. It became clear to many that Bishop Malone had not done enough to either curb abuse or to ensure that priests accused of wrongdoing couldn’t harm anyone else.

During the next year, Specht broke several more stories related to the scandal and was at every diocesan news conference, looking to hold Malone accountable. Tokasz and others also provided strong coverage of what may be the biggest WNY news story of the decade.

The scandal, in many ways, mirrored what famously happened in Boston nearly two decades ago. In a similarly Catholic city, a group of reporters told stories of victims who had their calls for justice silenced by a powerful institution. That led to a mass movement of others sharing their stories. The comparison fits, right down to a proud church official refusing to step down in the face of calls for his resignation.

In both cases, justice would not have occurred if not for a talented and dedicated group of journalists digging for the truth, even while those in power wanted to keep it under wraps.