Although this appeared in National Catholic Reporter several weeks ago, I thought you might want to read one of the most insightful pieces that I have come across in a while. John Allen Jr. gives an excellent overview of the press coverage of the 2010 sexual abuse crisis.
Here is an excerpt:
Under the best of circumstances, the Vatican and the secular media struggle to understand each other, and the first half of 2010 was hardly the best of times. As a new wave of the sexual abuse crisis swept across Europe and raised critical questions about Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican officials accused the press of bias, while news reports and editorial pages blasted the Vatican for dishonesty and denial.
Now that the dust has begun to settle, thoughtful figures on both sides realize the need to take a dispassionate look back. Many in the news business want to know if they got the story right, and at least some in Rome — not to mention frustrated Catholics elsewhere — wonder if the Vatican’s crisis management strategy, such as it was, backfired.
You can read the whole post here.