Why does media news and news articles point out......?

Question

when a child is adopted or biological (when parents has both)?? Cases in point: a man lost his family to a car wreck. He witnessed the accident and was unable to do anything when the van burst into flames. When this was shown on the news, the anchorperson pointed out that both his "biological child and his two adopted children were still in the van with his wife". Why point out the difference? All three were his children. I am just curious about why newspapers, and other media outlets always point out the adopted vs the biological children.

Have any of you come across this in your local news or local papers? It seems that they always go on about biological and adopted children. Obviously, I don't think its right and think that anyone who points out the difference should be smacked on sight.

Answer 1

Who knows why they say that. I have not seen or heard that in my local news or any news for that matter before. But it is wrong.

Answer 2

So that 'Sophisticated Liberal' can know whether or not to consider it a tragedy.

Answer 3

They think the public needs to know every little fact, including ones age, why do we need to know that? I mean would the crash have been any more devastating, if the people were 25 or 55?

Answer 4

It is very sad.

I also hate recently how Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman - now split - talk about having their 'own' children - I feel very very sad for their children they adopted when they were still married.

I had a cousin who insisted on always introducing me as the 'adopted one'.

It hurt like h**l.

I felt like I was always being put into my 'place' - as a less-than person than all other family members.

Luckily my a-mum and sibs never did the same - they loved me for me - it didn't matter how I came into the family.

Answer 5

I've noticed this too...especially when it involves some sort of crime.  I don't know why they do it other than to point out that the adopted children aren't their "real" children...and I agree, it's wrong.

Answer 6

I don't make any distinction between my biological and adopted children.  But, we're an ethnically diverse bunch, so it's not like it's a big secret.  I certainly don't introduce "my adopted" kids and "my own".  

Sometimes, I do think journalists need a crash course in adoptive friendly language.  If the purpose of the article is to educate about adoption, I don't have a problem with it.  But in the burning car crash example, it wasn't necessary or appropriate to make the distinction.

Smack on sight and all that!  But I chalk it up to ignorance.  Just like those "baby picture" projects in school that annoy my daughter to no end.  Ignorance, I can forgive.  Malice is a lot harder.

Answer 7

I've known other adoptive parents who have had their child introduced by someone else as their "adopted son". In front of the child! The insensitivity of some people.

Do bio parents introduce their children as "my biological child"? No.

I once had an experience in my daughter's doctor office that will make your head spin. Maybe I'll tell it someday.

Answer 8

i don't know but there is a preconcieved assumption that all adoptive parents are great and i think they did it in thi scase to make people even more sympethetic to him.

when an adoptee commits a crime, they say it so that the a parents don't have to claim it. that kid killed like 20 people but it's not his parents fault they just didn't know what they were getting into type of thing.

Answer 9

I've seen that alot and I don't like it...  not one bit.

Answer 10

Can I just say here that I think this is yet another way that adoptees rights are violated on a daily basis?  I mean, honestly, how many news people would keep their jobs after announcing "the man's schizophrenic son", or "so-and-so has AIDS", or "here's Tewana's social security number, in case anyone wanted it".  Isn't the fact that a person is adopted PERSONAL INFORMATION???

I quite agree with the "smacked on sight" comment.

Answer 11

I don't know why they do it either, but if you need someone to deliver the "on site smacking" I'll gladly volunteer  =)