There are celebrities that have brought the topic of adoption in the media spotlight and this may influence how some couples perceive the adoption process to work. When one reads an adoption article, they may not realize the elements that are not often spoken of. With the onslaught of the media attention when pop singer Madonna adopted a child from Malawi, adoption was in the spotlight. Every popular magazine will have a weekly adoption article regarding Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; this is bringing international adoption to everyone’s front door. Actress Mia Farrow has long been known to adopt children from overseas; however in her instance a huge uproar was caused when the public learned that Mia’s boyfriend, Woody Allen, was having a love affair with Mia’s adopted daughter.

The issue of adoption in the media reached new heights when people began to question how Madonna seemed to be able to go around adoption laws and regulations in regard to adopting her thirteen month old son, David Banda. At this time a Madonna adoption article leaned to the negative side. Some questioned if the child’s birth father knew that Madonna was the adoptive parent. This cause great debate over international adoption versus domestic adoption and many wondered why it seemed that children living in the United States were being overlooked.

One striking issue regarding Madonna that adoption in the media has brought to attention is the fact that in Africa, many fathers will place a young child in an orphanage, not to give them up for adoption, but so that the baby or young child can receive milk. Once that child is able to eat regular food, the loving father will then take the child back home. The birth father of the child that Madonna adopted, speaks very little English and the public did not all agree that Madonna followed proper laws. This began to make people wonder why a famous celebrity can seem to bypass rules, when couples can seem to go through years of red tape.

Any adoption article spread via the media can be taken from two sides. On one hand, it may cause people to see the unfair balance placed with celebrities. On the other hand, it can increase awareness to the many children who are in need of loving homes. This also causes a type of domino effect, as the awareness of overseas adoptions brings back to mind the need for domestic adoption. Some will ask why a couple should adopt overseas when there are so many children in the United States that are in desperate need of loving and caring homes.

Adoption in the media does not always mention that there are over one hundred thousand children in need of adoption at any given time in the United States. One reason that people may choose to adopt overseas, is that adoption in the media may prompt people to believe that international adoption is a very easy process. They will read an adoption article and not realize there is more to the process. Some say that this has been blown out of proportion and that the public does not see what goes on behind the scenes when celebrities adopt.

Almost all experts agree that adoption cannot be done on a whim and that people should be aware that the rules and laws of adoption can vary greatly from state to state in regard to domestic adoption and from country to country in regard to international adoption. At any rate, adoption in the media is causing awareness. It will be seen as to whether this has negative or positive consequences.