UNITED STATES
Catholic Culture
By Phil Lawler February 14, 2014
TheMediaReport.com is offering 5 practical suggestions for journalists covering the sex-abuse story as it relates to the Catholic Church. TheMediaReport is a site that doggedly defends the Church against accusations, and in some cases, I think, ends up defending the indefensible. But in this case, the advice is excellent, and any fair-minded journalist should follow it.
To sum up quickly (and to encourage readers to see the full version, anyone following the sex-abuse story should be aware of abuse in other institutions, apart from the Church; should recognize that some of the main players in this drama are motivated by hostility to Catholicism; should notice that a few lawyers have made huge profits on lawsuits; should acknowledge the enormous opportunities for fraud; and should realize that the Church has taken great strides in responding to abuse complaints.
The fundamental point here is that while the Church has richly deserved criticism because of sexual abuse, it’s important to keep things in context. Yes, demand that Church leaders address the issue, holding predatory priests accountable for their actions and their enablers accountable for covering up the crimes. But don’t throw away the rules of evidence, the considerations of fairness, and the principle that someone is innocent until proven guilty.
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.