The journalists in spotlight attack the problem from a number of different angles. Court cases and legal documents form one avenue of attack. Interviews from both the abused, and in the case of that one retired priest, the abusers, form another. The directory, the former cases, the clips from the accusations the lawyer sent in in ‘93, and interviewing. Interviewing interviewing interviewing. Diocesan officials, lawyers, victims, school board members.

Like blind men describing the elephant, they needed to get all around it to get an accurate picture. Accuracy by volume.

Editors served as team leaders, and case managers. The go-between for the team and the staff further up the chain of command. Also appears that they took the hardest targets for themselves- the spotlight editor had to do some hard stuff to get those priests confirmed.