UNITED STATES
The Dallas Morning News
Pardon us for rooting for Spotlight, a movie about watchdog journalism, to take home the golden statuette for best movie at Sunday’s Oscars.
The critical acclaim for Spotlight has elevated great public service journalism from the anonymous drudgery of tedious record searches, endless interviews and sleepless nights to global prominence. And, we hope, it offers the public a small window into what inspires so many journalists to come to work each day.
The movie depicts how the Boston Globe took on the insular and powerful Roman Catholic Church in Boston to investigate allegations against defrocked priest John Geoghan, accused of molesting more than 80 boys. The Globe showed intense reporting courage and newsroom leadership to prove that the church was covering up sexual abuse.
The real investigation created angst in the Boston Globe newsroom as editors, executives and reporters worked to uncover a horrific story about Boston’s most powerful institution. Most people never bear witness to this internal challenge of journalism; Spotlight portrayed it so accurately.
Most of all, the film revealed the importance of vigorous reporting and how great watchdog work protects our democracy and those who live in it. And it shows that society-changing stories don’t just fall into a reporter’s lap.
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