Describe the journalistic, legal, and religious ethical questions raised from the Boston Globe’s investigation of the abuse of children by Catholic priests.
2. Considering journalism ethics, what do you find in the code of ethics to inform the Boston Globe’s actions in this story? Can you find any codes of ethics for lawyers?
• Here are some things to think about:
o Why was the Cardinal not told about the investigation as it was going on? Do you think this raises ethical questions? Do you think the paper was right in not talking to the Cardinal until the end of the investigation? Why or why not? If you think Spotlight’s decision to not reveal the story violated any ethic(s) of journalism, which one(s)?
o Given that the newspaper received information from a victim five years earlier and did not act on it, do you think this violated any ethical standards? If so, which standards? If you had been a reporter that received that information earlier, would you want to act on it? Why or why not?
o The church settled numerous cases with victims out of court. Do you think this is an ethical violation? Why or why not? What would you do if you were a lawyer asked to take these cases? You might want to peruse this link to Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys in Massachusetts. http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/rules-of-court/sjc/sjc307.html
3. Here is the scenario: All of these reporters had Catholic backgrounds, most were raised in Boston, a huge city described as small, brought together through the Catholic Church. Would you work on this story if you were a reporter? Why or why not? What do you think could be the downfall of working on the story – professionally and personally?
4. What are the First Amendment questions here as they apply to the Catholic Church and to the Boston Globe?
