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OUR OWN HORN
Laurels to Lombardi


The folks at the Boston Globe managed to write dozens of stories about John Geoghan, Cardinal Law, and the pedophile-priests scandal without once mentioning that Boston Phoenix reporter Kristen Lombardi documented the Cardinal’s culpability in covering up Geoghan’s repeated assaults nine months before the Globe published the first installment of its investigation into the story. But Lombardi’s hard work and breakthrough reporting hasn’t escaped the notice of the Columbia Journalism Review. CJR’s April/May "Darts & Laurels" column gives full credit to Lombardi for her exposé of March 23, 2001, and the year of dogged investigation that followed.

"... [N]o local journalist dug more deeply into the story, and Law’s part in it, than Kristen Lombardi of the weekly Phoenix," wrote the CJR’s Gloria Cooper. "Published in March, August, and October, her prodigiously reported pieces documented the sorry history of Geoghan’s career, as well as the still sorrier protection of that career, and too many others like it, by the church and by Cardinal Law."

Though never once mentioning the Globe, the CJR also cites the Boston Herald for lending weight to Lombardi’s findings in its March 28, 2001, editorial and praises the Herald for the "all-too-rare act of editorial courtesy" of mentioning the Phoenix by name five times.

Confident that she won’t rest on her laurels, the Phoenix likewise recognizes Kristen Lombardi’s major contribution to this important story and thanks CJR for the kudos.

Issue Date: March 14 - 21, 2002
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