Episode 63 | Walter Robinson

Episode notes

Ellen and Dan talk with Walter Robinson , a longtime investigative journalist and editor of The Boston Globe's Spotlight Team. Robby, as he is known, was instrumental in uncovering the clergy sex abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in Boston and beyond. The series won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003. The team's work was captured onscreen in the movie "Spotlight," where Robby was played by the actor Michael Keaton . Robby is a former colleague – he was a distinguished professor of journalism here at Northeastern. He was also a 1974 graduate of Northeastern's journalism program, and participated in the co-op program. He reported and edited local news at The Globe. But he ranged wide. He reported from 48 states and 33 countries. He covered the White House during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. He was also the Globe's Middle East Bureau Chief, and covered the first Persian Gulf War. In recent years, Robby has been focused on the local news crisis in a big way. He has been deeply involved in the New Bedford Light , an impressive nonprofit digital news outlet.