Check It Out: Why a true story receives media criticism

By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com

Someone speculated the tenth movie in the Fast and Furious franchise might be called “Fas-ten (Fast 10) your seatbelts”.

I recently watched another movie entitled “Sound of Freedom.” In spite of being a low-budget independent film, it is very well done. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to watch it when it’s showing here in August.

Movies based on true stories usually inflate the facts, but not this time. Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), rescuing children from child traffickers, attests that it’s all true, although a more condensed story. And yet, much of the mainstream media is discouraging people from watching it. After viewing the movie, I asked myself why would a true story about child trafficking receive media criticism?

Washington Post said, “Sound of Freedom has been accused by some critics of warping the truth about child exploitation and catering to conspiracy theorists - something its distributor, Angel Studios, denies.”

CBC’s pop culture critic, Radheyan Simonpillai, chose to criticize the people who view the film rather than the film itself. That may be because he hasn’t actually seen the movie. Nevertheless, he claimed the film attracts pro-lifers and those who follow right-wing personalities or conspiracy theorists. The TV hosts were chuckling while discussing the film on CBC Airplay.

The host continued to say that OUR’s political goals make it something that conspiracy theorists would rally around. And yet child trafficking and Sound of Freedom are both not interested or involved in politics.

Meanwhile, a CBC headline about another movie read: “Netflix film Cuties becomes target of politicized backlash.” CBC encouraged people to watch the film showing pre-teen girls in provocative attire, without judging.

Sound of Freedom’s producer, Eduardo Verastegui, said eight years ago Tim Ballard, founder of OUR, was praised by the media for the success of the operation depicted in the movie. In 2014 CBS showed actual footage of OUR renting an island house, raking it with hidden cameras, coordinating with Columbia’s authorities and arresting traffickers.

In 2023, the same media discouraged people from watching this film, and they all share the same talking points. So what has changed? In an online interview, Eduardo said he believes it’s because the culture has changed.

CNN claimed the film implies that people like Tim Ballard and the ticket buyers can bring these child trafficking rings down. But after hearing those media comments, I asked myself another question: “Why would raising awareness about child trafficking be criticized by the media?” Isn’t raising awareness a step in the right direction, which will help introduce change?

It is hoped that North Americans, who are the largest consumers of child pornography, will receive a wake-up call, realizing they are the problem. It is hoped that whistleblowers will step forward. It is hoped that more people will use their spheres of influence to address the problem. Some already have done so.

In 2017, actor Ashton Kucher reported to the US Senate. He is chairman and co-founder of Thorne. “We build software to fight human trafficking in the exploitation of children,” Kucher said. “I’ve seen video content of a child the same age as mine being raped by an American man who was a sex tourist in Cambodia.”

Meanwhile, Tim Ballard has been doing numerous interviews online. In a recent interview, he said miraculous events happen when they take one step forward. In February 2022, Tim’s wife insisted he go to Ukraine to rescue war orphans. When his team arrived, they discovered a pedophile ring out of Holland trafficking kids into Mexico, Ecuador and Miami. In just four months, they took down five leaders of a group and discovered a child sex hotel in Ecuador.

“This turned into a four-part mini-series documentary that is coming out, produced by Mel Gibson,” he added. “That’s a miracle!”

Meanwhile, CNN claimed Sound of Freedom was created out of moral panic. The broadcaster said, “You aren’t just watching a movie. You are helping bring down a pedophile ring. It’s not true, but it’s a very comforting, warm feeling to have.”

Yet I’m reminded of an old saying: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good people do nothing.”

Glen Beck is one of the many people who “did something”; he helped fund the non-profit organization OUR. On his online podcast, he recalled words spoken by the late Billy Graham.

Billy said regular people will say they don’t have any tools. But they don’t have to complete the whole puzzle; they only need to do their piece. “We will see a mosaic of all the little people who have just been obedient in their little ways in their circle of influence,” Billy told Glen. “And God will put it all together in a wonderful mosaic.”

Although you and I won’t be taking down a pedophile ring any time soon, we all can do our part to protect and pray for children.