The media is committing a rhetorical trick and logical fallacy by linking all child trafficking to one vague if well-known online conspiracy. “QAnon believes children are abducted for weird spirit cooking rituals and therefore all child trafficking is a conspiracy theory.” On CNN, a guest said that “these films are created out of moral panics… it specifically is looking at QAnon concepts of these child trafficking rings.” These segments seem to exist solely due to the personal politics of the lead actor.

Yet when a new Top Gun or Mission: Impossible film is released, we are not flooded with stories about star Tom Cruise’s role in the kooky Church of Scientology from the Washington Post or CNN. Why is this?