Symbol: Church
In context of the film, a church is symbolic of the rampant sexual abuse that so many young people - mainly boys - had to endure because of evil Priests. A church, in other words, is symbolic of abuse, evil, and religion gone bad.
Symbol: Priest's Robes
A Priest's robes are symbolic of the sexual abuse perpetrated by the Clergy against young children (mainly young boys). They are symbolic of the bad deeds committed by priests and are symbolic of the Catholic church and Catholicism itself.
Motif: Church Covering Up Priest Misconduct
One of the most common motifs in the film is the Church covering up priests sexual misconduct. The first instance of the Church covering up priest misconduct occurs in the opening minutes of the film when the charges against Father Geoghan for child molestation are dropped. Similar instances pop up dozens of times in the film.
Symbol: The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is symbolic of the power of journalists to inspire change - oftentimes change for the better - in the world. This is illuminated by the work the so-called "Spotlight" team do to expose the Catholic Church's abuse scandal in the Boston area.
Motif: Journalistic Brilliance
A common motif throughout the film is journalistic brilliance. Often, viewers see journalists doing great work to expose injustices in the world. And audiences see these journalists do great, oftentimes incredibly difficult complex work to expose the aforementioned injustices.
