Is there a Media Bias Against Adoptees?

Question

Have you ever noticed whenever someone does something really bad, the media always point out if they were adopted or from foster care?

Just wondering

Answer 1

Yes, I have always noticed this!  And even worse, they usually say the "adopted CHILD of Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So" even if the person is 47 years old!

Answer 2

Yes.  Once the media describes the person as "the birth child" of So&So, then they are no longer being biased.  If the fact that the person was an abused child and it relates directly to the issue being reported, then they should just say that information obtained indicates the person was abused as a child and it appears to be related to what the person did.  They don't have to point out that the child was in foster care or adopted.  I've had people do it to me ever since I adopted children.  Everyone will be sitting around talking about something their child did and everybody sympathizes and gives advice, etc.  If I mention something my child did, everyone automatically says something like,"Oh, but she has an excuse.  She was adopted."  So the bias is pretty much universal.

Answer 3

I totally have picked up on it....its insulting, the media loves to twist adoption relations to their agenda.

Answer 4

The media is bias in general it isn't just towards adoptees.  

How many times have you read a news story that mentions a person's ethnicity, work status or educational level -- unless the information is relevant to the story it doesn't belong there, this includes a person's adoptive status.

It was never more apparent to me than during the recent Primary coverage.  They wrote to sway public perception, to intentionally create more news stories.

Answer 5

yeah they do. when they talk about celebs kids there is always a need to differenate between the adopted kid and the birth kid.

Answer 6

You know, as long as they point out that some parents who do horrible things are foster or adoptive parents, it's cool by me.

Adoptive and foster families are still the stuff Lifetime TV movies are made of, after all.  (Ugh.)

Answer 7

I notice this all the time. My question is... If so many adoptees and foster children are being singled out when they commit crime why isn't the media as eager to address adoptee and foster care issues?

Oh right... rocking the boat is not allowed, adoption and foster care are always in the best interest of the child. Wouldn't want to point out that the system could possibly be flawed.

Answer 8

Yes, I heard something the other night that almost made me run off the road.

I was listening to the radio, and "Delilah" or whatever her name is, was talking about her children. I believe her show is national. She was talking about the four (?) children that God blessed her to have naturally. Let me just say, that I can't quote her exactly, but I thought, God help her poor adopted children. She made them sound like second class citizens. I have since learned that she adopted the other children out of foster care and she is a big advocate for foster children, but I can't help but wonder how they are being treated.

Oh, and Nicole Kidman, she's FINALLY going to have a baby!!! DUH... what were the other two?

Good point.

Answer 9

its just to signal out that that might be why theyre troubled

Answer 10

Its funny they put it out but they retract it later.  The adoption industry is pulling out all the stops in removing the negatives in adoption.  There have been several cases where that has happened.

Answer 11

The media almost uses it as an excuse.  Yes her robbed four banks and killed people but he was a foster child.  AND that has nothing to do why he did that.  There are far more "natural" children that do horrible things

Answer 12

Yes, they do and unfortunately their adoptive status (or lack thereof) has NOTHING to do with facts of the case that is the attention getting issue anyway.

You can write letters to the papers, reporters and other media that do over emphasize adoption negatively and ask them to stop and to use more postive presentations for adoption rather than emphasizing it unfairly in negative situations.

Answer 13

Joanne Wolf Small has an entire paper in her book, "The Adoption Mystique," devoted to Anti-Adoptee bias in the media.  

I won't reproduce the work here, as it is lengthy and engaging.  But there is a definite slant both against opening adoption records (since the adoptees are now likely to "harass" the "birthmother") and definite highlighting of adoption status whenever a child does something wrong enough to make the news.  (On the other hand, we don't see much by way of adoption status being pointed out when things go well.)

Joanne Wolf Small has a Masters in Social Work, has served on an adoption advisory panel, and is an adult adoptee in reunion.