After taking more than a little bit of my time to compose a response to a request for comment on Angelina Jolie's adoptions from a reporter from the New York Post, I was irked, but not surprised, to see what ended up in print.


My comments came from both heart and head, were reasonable, fair and balanced. Not, apparently, what they were going for at the Post.The story, when it appeared, proved the paper had an obvious agenda in mind long before anyone asked what I thought. They must have been trawling in hopes of dredging up gunk and, of course, they managed to find someone thrilled to their boot tips to give them what they wanted.

Throwing in rumors of Angelina criticizing Madonna and trying to tie a comment she made regarding illegal adoptions to hinted sleaze tossed at her Cambodian adoption, the article decided to pick quotes that don't favor Ms. Jolie, like, "Angelina is not a hero in the adoption community," and, " ... said that after Jolie's adoption scandal, Cambodia closed its doors, and many families who were waiting to acquire children were left empty-handed."

As if she was responsible for the suspension!

This is an up-close and personal experience to illustrate how the media controls and manipulates a story. It's not pretty, and it's certainly not fair, but it is what it is.

What happens because of the way this works can be devastating. The fallout from adoption trashing often ends up with children trapped behind a mirror of distortion for their entire lives.

More than five years ago, the suspension on US adoptions in Cambodia was imposed. Only this week, the last US agencies doing adoptions in Russia lost their licenses, and heaven only knows how long it will be until kids there will be allowed to finds homes with American families.

Every parent of a child adopted internationally has a duty to understand the difference between hype and truth, to cling to that truth and distribute it so that it thrives rather than gets buried beneath the piles of trash.

When you see a story about adoption that has a negative cast, ask yourself where it comes from, what's the motivation for it, and where in it is actual fact and truth. Separate out the rumor and innuendo. Throw out the glitz. Get rid of any envy or uninformed judgement. Then, and only then, look carefully at what might be left.

Take what is left and form an opinion. If the residue is something that requires action, take it. If you see reforms are needed, work for them. If laws need changing, get involved in changing them. If you can grab the attention of the media, avoid the bandwagon and put forth thoughtful, well-considered information founded in truth, not knee-jerk reaction to misinformation.

No one exists in a vacuum, and especially not the media. What appears in your local shopping news could be around the world tomorrow, and even if it isn't someone is listening.