SS: We’ve heard from hundreds. We created multiple ways for people to reach us. All of the principals including myself have our phone numbers and email addresses in the paper and online. But we also created a special online forum. We created an email hotline and a telephone hotline for comments and tips. Last I checked, insofar as public opinion is concerned, we’re running overwhelmingly — ten to one, fifteen to one — in favor of our reporting and the work that we’ve done. There are some people who believe that we have invaded the mayor’s privacy, or that we’re dredging up old allegations. And he has been an effective mayor, and there are people who are concerned we may be costing the city an effective leader. But overwhelmingly, I think the community appreciates knowing something today that they didn’t know before.


BM: This whole package obviously has a huge impact on the mayor’s life. You’ve explained why you and the paper felt it was justified. I’m just curious if you have mixed feelings.


SS: Oh, I’m sick to my stomach. And I think I can speak for the reporters and the editors who’ve been involved with this for some period of time. Reporters and editors involved in the sex abuse priest stories around the country I think can probably empathize with our feelings. If you listen to the interviews with our victims, they bring you to tears — damaged people whose lives have been irrevocably harmed.


If you talk to the mayor, in terms of his public persona — [he is] a quiet man. A man I personally liked quite a bit, and … who brought order to what was a chaotic municipal government. A great deal of respect. There’s no satisfaction in these stories. And the last few weeks, as we’ve been moving to publication, every one of us has had to step back and search pretty deeply about what we were doing and why we were doing it.


Earlier this week, I wanted everyone on the team to verbally commit to the story in terms of, “Are we doing the right thing? Is this journalistically defensible? Are we prepared to take responsibility for what may come from this?” And it was only after that conversation that we said we were ready to go.