Editor of ‘Spotlight’ reporters to teach in Phoenix

PHOENIX — The leader of the team whose investigation into the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal inspired the 2015 movie “Spotlight” will teach journalism at Arizona State University early next year.

Walter Robinson was the editor of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team in January 2002 when it released a report on the Church’s widespread cover-ups of sex abuse by priests of dozens of boys.

The report won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. The movie won the Oscar for best picture at this year’s awards.

Robinson will begin teaching as a visiting professor in January 2017.

“His reporting and newsroom leadership have brought to light important issues that have uncovered serious corruption and abuse,” Cronkite School Dean Christopher Callahan told ASU Now.

Robinson worked at the Globe for decades, covering a variety of subjects, from domestic politics to the Middle East to antiquity thefts until 2007. He left to teach journalism at his alma mater, Northeastern University.

He rejoined the Globe as an editor-at-large in 2014 and will only be teaching graduates and advanced undergraduates as a visiting professor for the spring 2017 semester.

Before he begins his teaching assignment, Robinson will be at the school’s downtown Phoenix campus on Sept. 14 for a screening and discussion of “Spotlight.”