“Spotlight” on Finding Truth

When Tom McCarthy sits in the director’s or writer’s chair, one knows it is going to be a solid film or TV episode. From Up, The Station Agent, and Game of Thrones to The Cobbler and Million Dollar Arm, McCarthy never disappoints. His most recent film, Spotlight, centers around the true story of a group of investigative journalists seeking answers to questions surrounding the 2001 child sex abuse scandal in Boston concerning Roman Catholic priests. Marty Baron, (portrayed by Liev Schreiber), the new editor at The Boston Globe, pushes the group of reporters to spend the next several months uncovering truths regarding the scandal.

The team of investigative journalists covering the 2001 scandal. From the left: Michael Keaton as Walter “Robby” Robinson, Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes, Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, John Slattery as Ben Bradlee Jr., and Brian d’Arcy James as Matt Carroll

However, as the journalists begin searching, they face an uncanny amount of obstacles. Through weeks of interviewing witnesses, the truth seems impossible to reach because many don’t want to share information or are too devastated by tragedy to reveal it.

As Spotlight shows, it is difficult to locate the truth because of uncooperative witnesses, but also because of institutions that hide it. Throughout Spotlight, the church withholds facts and evidence that the journalists need in order to unveil the whole story. Despite the recalcitrance of the Catholic church, the Spotlight team is willing to push boundaries and insist that they get what they need to reveal the truth.

Truth may never be acknowledged, but it can be found.

As Baron says in the film, “The truth may never be known. And it seems to me that for us, that should always be unacceptable, that we should always try to find the truth and do everything possible to find the truth.”

Clearly, the truth can seem too distant or difficult to uncover, but in journalism it is essential to obtain. By knowing certain principles and sticking to those values, seeking the truth is crucial, just as the investigative journalists proved in Spotlight.

In the end, it is up to us to decide how far we are willing to dig to get the truth. As journalists, we must continue seeking answers, even if that means delving deeper in order to unearth the complete story.