| November 12th, 2015

MOVIE PREVIEW: Spotlight

By: journeymagazine

Adjusting the Spotlight: Boston Globe’s High-Profile Investigation Made Into a Film

Written by: TyLisa C. Johnson

A journalist’s job is to expose new truth, and in 2002 a team of investigative reporters at the Boston Globe exposed what was then an unheard of occurrence, the sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic clerics.

The team at the Boston Globe uncovered the horrific story of former priest, John J. Geoghan and the more than 130 children he fondled, and or raped. The persistent investigation done by the team led to the eventual prosecution of multiple Roman Catholic priests for the sexual abuse of minors.

There were multiple attempts at covering up the crimes of Geoghan, and others, by the church, including sealing documents and refusing to talk; there were even documents stating that the repeated abuse by Geoghan of seven boys was not a “serious” problem.

The spotlight team won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003 after exposing the sexual abuse of minors.

“Spotlight”, a new film that will debut this Friday, follows the investigative high-profile spotlight team of Boston Globe journalists and their journey to uncover the truth about the sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic church and the church’s attempt to cover up their crimes.

“How do you say no to God?” a character says in a quote from the trailer of the new movie “Spotlight”.

The movie “Spotlight” is now showing in select theaters around the US.