Does the mainstream media have something against Christian-friendly entertainment companies that specialize in “wholesome” content?
How else to explain the virtual blackout of “The Sound of Freedom,” a thriller that exposes the child sex trade and grossed around $11 million on its July 4th opening? According to Yahoo, its per screen average was nearly twice that of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”—with about $4,400 in 2,634 theaters compared to about $2,543 in 4,600 theaters for “Indiana.”
Because the cause of the child sex trade is close to my heart, I’ve been looking for any sign of coverage from mainstream outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Hollywood Reporter, etc. Except for Variety, I keep coming up empty. As I wrote yesterday, The Times reviewed 65 films in June, but “Freedom” wasn’t on the list. The film isn’t even listed on the website of review aggregator Metacritic, which usually lists pretty much every release.
What’s going on? How can such an important film that is also doing well be iced out?
The short answer is that the burden of proof is not on the film. It’s on the media companies. It’s one thing to review a movie and pan it. But to totally ignore it?
I run a Jewish paper. I saw “Freedom” and loved it. I found the story both heart-wrenching and riveting. I don’t care where good stuff comes from. I don’t care that “Freedom” is distributed by the Provo, Utah-based Angel Studios, which supports Christian-friendly content, or that the marketing included block sales to churches, or that the star of the film, Jim Caviezel, played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ.”
The millions of abused children who are suffering in silence deserve that we make a lot of noise on their behalf.
I care about the 2 million children who are trafficked every year worldwide. I care that The Department of Homeland Security estimates that child trafficking has an annual global profit of $150 billion, more than the illegal arms trade. I care that the United States is the number one consumer and producer of child abuse content.
The Journal will continue to track media coverage. We will continue to cover the movie and the cause, and we hope that other media outlets and social justice activists will follow. The millions of abused children who are suffering in silence deserve that we make a lot of noise on their behalf.
