UNITED STATES
Chicago Tribune
Ted Slowik
Most oddsmakers and film critics say “Spotlight” is a long shot to take home the Best Picture Oscar at Sunday’s Academy Awards. “The Revenant” is favored over the film about The Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s coverup of priests who sexually abused children.
Still, “Spotlight” is an Oscar-worthy film that recounts in dramatic fashion how Globe reporters exposed the systemic transferring of repeat offenders to other parishes, the Church’s relentless efforts to discredit accusers and the willingness of good Catholic laymen to go along with the program.
Reporters who uncovered abuse in other dioceses appreciate “Spotlight’s” accuracy and authenticity. I covered how the issue affected the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, which includes all of Will County.
Others on the beat at the time included Allison Hantschel of the Daily Southtown and David Heinzmann of the Chicago Tribune. Southtown columnist Tim Placher recounted his experience being abused by a priest. Those of us who investigated this issue locally encountered the same personal and professional challenges faced by the Globe team as depicted in “Spotlight.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.