[KevinK]

First off, I think there have been far worse media accounts in the past. I think this guy did some interviews and wrote a sotry. You can't expect him to give more weight or legitimacy to an adoption attorney then he does to UNICEF, the world's most respected child aid NGO.

I have a friend who wroites for the NYT and I myself used to write op-ed columns - often times things get editted poorly. So what he submitted may not have been what was ultimately printed. Journalists generally want to cover stories, editors want to sell papers!

I was personally botherd that no fact chekcing was done. He says Berger approved hte Hague in 2002. Berger became president in 2004 - it was former Pres Portillo that approved hte Hague. And he got the consitutional court decision backwards and confused with an irrelevant ruling this year that Berger could not be forced to withdraw from the Hague.

I have written the author a nice, yet serious, response (I know how the NYT e-mail address system works) and offered to help him with a follow-up piece. Hopefulyl he'll take me up on that.

But feel free to write a letter to the editor. I have instruction for doing so posted on Guatemala Adoption Information and News Guatemala Adoption Information and News.

Kevin
Guatadopt.com

[Saya]

Kevin - Thanks for your interesting and measured response, and I'm glad you followed up with the author. I hope he responds to you.

I also thought it was an interesting article - but very shallowly researched and presented. Many of the issues it brought up ARE major problems, and the fact is that all parents considering adopting from Guatemala needs to think about this stuff very seriously. There are some very unethical people in Guatemala and the USA involved in adoptions, and in my opinion we need to be VERY vigilent as to whom we work with and why our children are being relinquished. HOWEVER to make it sound like it's an easy process with no oversight is just ridiculous. To make it sound like the Hague brings easy answers is naive. And to make it sound like all American adoptive families are clueless and culturally insensitive is insulting.

Ah, the media. I've had several experiences in my professional life with seeing journalists just get things completely wrong. Many journalists are really smart people (and I generally like the NYTimes) but they often just don't have the in-depth knowledge they should about the subjects they write about. They are generalists, and get away with knowing a little bit about 800 different topics, and then inevitably get things wrong. It has made me read everything with a grain of salt.

[Guatemom]

Mary M--I gotta give you thumbs up for pointing out those things--I agree. However, I am so hurt and upset and outraged that the article paints adoptive families in such a negative light. However much truth there is in that the system needs revision, I'm sure it does, it should not have been presented in this way in the article. It makes it sound like we're car shopping or something (the hotel scenes--"ooh I'll take this one"). And then only a week or so in country--they conveniently left out how long the entire process usually takes; the agonizing of the adoptive families in process and the languishing of the children in country awaiting their families. I do agree, there needs to be revision, but I more strongly feel that the article did a very poor job in painting a fair and justified picture. [EDITED TO REMOVE ATTORNEY DISCUSSION] I'm just heartsick at the whole thing. All I know is an article like this will reinforce the already existing (and so apparent by the article) negativity, and for those of us still wanting children from Guat, and the children waiting for families, this disgusting excuse for journalism does not call for change--it's rallying the exact opposite of kind of support adoptive families need. I am absolutely sick over this...

[ajjhmf]

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