I have always found a strange fascination with newspapers. They are timeless and have (somewhat) been able to stand the test of time- even with the hurdles of improved technology and the influx of fake news. However, over past years they have been slowly dwindling. As someone from Chicago, I was heartbroken when I found out that the Chicago Tribune had closed it’s physical office a few summers ago. Their main building stood alongside the Chicago River and had been (in-building) operation since 1847. When I was younger I would strategically walk by to see what was going on inside and had actually planned to work there as an adult. They have since turned the old Tribune building into luxury condominiums on the river but the owners have decided the keep the historic sign. In Chicago, the Tribune is still in operation but made the final transition to being 100% online with building closing.

According to John Oliver on the Tonight Show, the downfall of newspapers is having a ripple effect on industries like print ads which are creating much less revenue digitally. He also points out that the 2015 Academy Award for best picture Spotlight could be seen as a ‘slap-in-the-face’ for actual journalists as real life investigative-journalism is just so much different than as glamorized in the 2 hour Drama. This extremely intense in-person, victim/perpetrator journalism is breeding ground for misinterpretation, lawsuits and scandal. Marty Baron, executive director of The Washington Post discussed the extreme pressures and expectations put on journalists saying that they not only need to do their traditional reporting- but participate on social media, are asked to produce a wire service that’s available 24 hours a day and be responsible for video. Not your average workload and certainly a lot to ask any working adult.

I first watched Spotlight when it came to theaters in 2015 and it’s one of my favorite movies today. With it’s criticism, it tackles the extremely sensitive topic of ongoing sexual assault in the Catholic Church and does it in a way that’s respectful of the victims and lets people know how long this major issue has been swept under the rug and covered up for sooo long, many of the victims still waiting to receive justice… But isn’t this what true journalism is all about?? This movie came out and drew people in with famous actors and actresses that everyone loves and reminded the public of this huge injustice. An ongoing issue that the Church has tried to cover up from being in the media. Sooo, it definitely gets 5 stars for me.