The Representation of Adoption: An Examination of Adoption Rhetoric in

United States News Broadcasting

Mia Powers-McCormack

Communication and Media Department, Seattle University, Seattle, USA

December 8, 2022

The Representation of Adoption: An Examination of Adoption Rhetoric in United States

News Broadcasting
 An examination of adoption rhetoric demonstrates a need for greater use of positive

adoption language. By analyzing the rhetoric in three adoption stores covered by the

news broadcasting companies of NBC, CBS, and PBS, the origins and intentions behind

the creation and use of adoption rhetoric can be understood. Positive adoption rhetoric

has the power to act as a groundwork for honest adoption rhetoric in working towards a

complex and holistic understanding of the adoption experience.

Keywords: Rhetoric; representation theory; adoption; adoptee; news broadcasting

On September 25, 2018, CBS News aired the short story titled, “Thankful teenage boy

gives sweet speech during adoption.”i In the clip, 13-year-old Dayshawn and his 6-year-old

brother are with their foster parents, Sara Cozad and Stuart Shank, finalizing their adoption in an

Oregon court.ii When the brothers are asked by the judge if they are ready for their commitment

of adoption, Dayshawn is shown making a heartfelt speech about his love for his adoptive

parents. In his response, Dayshawn’s words of “I am glad to be their son. They’re just really the

best thing I’ve ever had” brings his adoptive mother to tears. iii With the clip ending in all smiles

and cheering in the courtroom, Dayshawn and Michael’s adoption stands out from the rest of

CBS News’ daily broadcasting.

This small segment of CBS News’ coverage of Dawshawn and Michael’s adoption has

stuck with me as a positive adoption story to have aired on a news broadcasting station.

Dayshawn’s description of his adoptive parents does not highlight any biological difference.

Instead, he only emphasizes his connection to his adoptive parents and his words are comparable

to any normative depiction of a biological relationship between child and parents. With the
absence of commentary from CBS News, Dayshawn and Michael’s adoption speaks for itself. As

an example of positive adoption representation in the media, reflecting on Dayshawn’s adoption

speech led me to my central research questions: what are the themes of the representation of

adoption stories and experiences? What are the stakes of media representation theory?

This paper will explore the rhetorical meanings behind adoption language and its use by

both adopted and non-adopted persons in mass media. In relation to the representation of

adoption and adoptees in the United States media, Stuart Hall’s representation theory will be

examined. This paper argues that the imperative of embodying positive adoption language and

rhetoric in news broadcasting media will result in greater volumes of positive representation of

adoption stories, leading to more complex and holistic understanding of adoption experiences.

Rhetoric and Language

In its simplest form, rhetoric is both a direct and indirect form of communication. We

engage in language to influence or inform, and at its center, rhetorical success is based on the

ability to draw connections in support of a conclusion.

Originating from the teachings of Aristotle, the term “rhetoric” is rooted in the act of

persuasion and the use of persuasive techniques. iv When rhetoric is persuasive, it has the ability

to create social interaction that is achieved by the unification of interests. For American literary

critic, Kenneth Burke, he moves beyond the utilization and understanding of rhetoric as a unique

tool of persuasion. For the construction of rhetoric, Burke defines rhetoric on the terms of

motivating an individual or group of people. In Burke’s A Rhetoric of Motives, rhetoric is “the

use of words by human agents to form attitudes or induce actions in other human agents” (Burke

41).v Differing from Aristotle’s broader application of rhetoric as persuasion, Burke’s definition

indicates an intention of achieving a goal or identification. His denotation of more than one
“human agent” conveys a collective or shared goal that understands rhetoric to hold significance

in the connection between language and the formation of relationships.vi What can be gleaned

from Burke’s work is the initial conceptualization of using rhetoric to draw linguistic

connections and lead to the act of assigning human meaning to words.

When applying Burke’s understanding of rhetoric in the context of adoption, language

becomes a powerful tool for describing and expressing the meaning of certain human

relationships. In other words, delineating “meaning involves the articulation of relationships.”vii

While Richard Cherwitz and Thomas Darwin note an important consideration of language as a

bridge between relationships and meaning in their work, rhetoric becomes a means to

understanding the complex nature of adoption.viii With the ability to trace definitions and

deconstruct meaning, a rhetorical approach can provide an effective means of navigating

language surrounding the concept of adoption and of adoptees. This approach allows for an in-

depth exploration of the social and cultural implications that influence the shaping of terms used

for adoption. As Burke illustrates, a collective or shared goal can strengthen one’s use of rhetoric

by placing language in conversation with the centrality of relationships and its meaning for

adopted persons.ix

In order to understand the meaning that is shaped by and created through language,

Potter’s “Adopting Commodities: A Burkean Cluster Analysis of Adoption Rhetoric” provides

insight into how adoption is discussed in the public sphere. In the words of Bartholet (1977),

Potter states that “the language surrounding adoption regularly conveys the additional message

that adoptive parenting relationships are less powerful, less meaningful, less loving than blood

relationships.”x Potter communicates that adoption rhetoric has been linked with economic

terminology. A historically early conception of adoption was for parents to have a number of

children who could work and support the financial stability of the family. xi A way that this early
practice of adoption has transferred to contemporary understandings of adoption is through

rhetoric. With the nature of adoption including the physical and emotional placement of a child

often in a non-biological family, Potter then reveals that adopted individuals can be perceived as

“objects that are placed or arranged.”xii Because adoption rhetoric is rooted in and surrounded by

ideas of economic exchange, Potter conveys that this history has largely contributed to public

perceptions of adoptee’s being “less than.” xiii Thus, by lending insight into the root of negative

adoption language and, in turn, negative adoption representation, Potter demonstrates the power

rhetoric has in influencing both societal and cultural ideas about adoption and adoptees.

Representation Theory

Representation is about portrayal; and in its relational quality, representation is the way in

which the audience “sees themselves.” For the audience, a reflection or acknowledgement of

one’s identity can influence the support of the individual within culture and society. Through an

exploration of language and its meaning, Stuart Hall connects the concept of representation to

culture. For Hall, “representation is the production of meaning through language” and with this

definition is the assertion that a common language exists.xiv With the very notion that

representation develops with the use of language, Hall provides three ways of examining the ties

between language, meaning, and culture. xv Through his representation theory, Hall presents the

subtheories of the reflective, intentional, and constructionist as three lenses to understand

language and how they represent the world. xvi

The Reflective Approach

Reflective theory leans on the question that asks, “does language simply reflect a

meaning which already exists?”xvii Following the fourth century BC Greek understanding of the
term “mimesis”, the reflective approach mirrors or imitates a truth in nature. xviii Fully dependent

on “codes'” that link the physical to their associated linguistic terms, this theory brings attention

and considers cultural differences.xix While interpretation of a physical item or person can exist

differently on the basis of language, the caveat to the reflective approach is the need to connect

through a common language.xx

To apply reflective theory to the representation of adoptees, this brings into conversation

whether the past informs the present. That is, reflective theory considers already established

meanings in the world, but works to build connections to reconstruct entirely new ideas. This

approach takes into consideration subjective linguistic meanings that are not formally recognized

within public speech. In using the example of the terms “biological parent” and “adoptive

parent”, an important distinction is made by an adopted person. Yet, understanding that an

“adoptive parent” can be acknowledged as “parent” requires a code that is independently shaped

by one or more adoptee. Thus, reflective theory works to resolve the gaps in language by placing

the rhetorical meaning of words within the greater context and understanding of its subject.

The Intentional Approach

The intentional approach is centered on the question, “does language express only what

the writer wants to say?”xxi If remaining true to the question, intentional theory has the flaw of

allowing individuals to construct and communicate with their own private languages. xxii Even

with the acknowledgement that each person communicates in a unique way, this theory can be

perceived as lacking boundaries in its examination of language. Yet, the only major constraint

for the intentional approach is that to communicate through language, there needs to be a shared

linguistic understanding.xxiii
 In relation to adoption representation and rhetoric, intentional theory can be used to

investigate and reveal why a specific author writes about adoption. For instance, adoption is

often referred to in discourse about the legalization or illegalization of abortion. Often presented

as an alternative to abortion, this argument can be used for the purpose that it is relevant rather

than used with the intention to contribute to adoption narrative. Therefore, the intentional

approach can be a means to investigate these disparities and motives within adoption

representation and rhetoric.

The Constructionist Approach

The constructionist or constructivist approach is focused on the question, “is meaning

constructed in and through language?”xxiv In only using the discursive approach within

constructionist theory, analyzing language will be shaped through an examination of discourse,

power, and knowledge as influenced by Michel Foucault.xxv As a French philosopher and

Historian, Foucault’s work is centered on examining rules and practices that frame discourse in

its given historical periods. xxvi Rather than studying language, Foucault’s interest is the act of

communication. Specifically, his emphasis is on exploring how individuals understand their own

use of language, cultural or other conceptual systems to represent and convey their ideas. Yet,

the constructivist theory’s main concern is discerning how meaning is conveyed by language

systems, in which it does not have a fixed focus on the structure of these systems like Foucault.

In one application of the theory, the constructionist approach can provide the means to

trace the origin of certain terms in adoption language. Adoption rhetoric continually develops

and changes with consideration of adoptees in mind. For example, to refer to an adoptee born in

another country, saying “child from abroad” is a practice rather than “foreign child.”xxvii With the

term “foreign” or “foreigner” tracing back to the 1920’s and specifically the Immigration Act of
1924, its connotation has become synonymous with “alien.”xxviii The fluidic nature of the

constructionist approach to reflect on the creation, reconstruction or acceptance of new rhetorical

meanings has the power to support changes. Most prominently, the constructionist approach can

reinforce changes in cultural and social attitudes and perspectives that influence forms of

representation, such as media representation.

Representation Theory and Mass Media

In the context of mass media, Hall’s Representation Theory reveals how conceptual

meaning comes into existence once it is represented in the media. With no fixed point, media

provides meaning when representation is part of a given event. Hall further describes this

phenomenon when he says, “Representation does not occur after the event, representation is

constitutive of the event.”xxix As an important distinction in Hall’s work, media becomes a

meaning maker. Yet, as a system that contextualizes events that happen in reality, the media's

ability to create meaning has the power to influence society. For Hall, the media's intention is to

establish fixed meanings in order to achieve dominant ones.xxx Normalized narrow perceptions

that come from a lack of diversity are what produces the limited media representations that

exist.xxxi Thus, in connecting his Representation Theory to mass media, Hall brings attention to

media as hegemony and stresses a need to examine who controls the media. xxxii

For adoption representation in media, one normalized perception stands as the dominant

meaning for family. The North American depiction of family consists of two parents and their

biological childrenxxxiii The inability to fit in this conception of family can place stress on

adoptees that can be expressed in the feeling of social prejudice. xxxiv As one’s identity as an

adopted person places an individual outside of the normative, attention may be placed on an

adoptee’s experience of unresolved loss and behaviorxxxv. Therefore, a prominent stigma is that
adoptees are “unnatural” because of an absence in their biological connections and this is a

common depiction in broadcast news.xxxvi

In the U.S. alone, news stands as the “second most relied upon source of information

about adoption for Americans.”xxxvii Additionally, media is a leading source for the public to

learn about adoption in the context of family forms and relations (CITE). This follows that news

depictions of adoptive parents and families are often positive, whereas the majority of media

coverage of adoptees are negative (CITE). Thus, negative news representation of adoptees

becomes a question of whether news stories contribute to the stigmatization of adopted

individuals.

In Kline et al.'s work, “Covering Adoption: General Depictions in Broadcast News,”

negative representation of adoptees is determined by not only depictions of having undesirable

attributes, but also ones that devalue adopted individuals.xxxviii In other words, media coverage

becomes stigmatizing when adoptees are portrayed as an isolated entity because of their

deviation from the normative. Furthermore, Kline et al., in another work, “Healthy Depictions?

Depicting Adoption and Adoption News Events on Broadcast News” note that negative media

representation of adoptees can be intentionally limited in their scope. xxxix They state that “rather

than focusing on long-term relationships, media fascination sometimes has focused on the short-

term drama of search and reunion stories, which may perpetuate the ideology that blood relatives

are the most important.”xl Yet, despite the use of this lens in the news, positive adoption

representation has the ability to counter these stigmas. Positive adoption representation in the

media consists of explaining adoption and showing adoption success stories. Thus, greater

exposure to adoption, adoptee experiences, and the promotion of nongenetic family forms and

relations have the potential to dramatically increase positive media representation of adoptees.
History of Adoption in the United States

The concept of adoption, which is defined by the acceptance and act of raising another

person’s biological child, is not new in the U.S. The support or opposition of adoption is a 150

year effort that has been led by individuals, activist groups, and politicians. xli As part of the

larger developing Child Welfare Movement throughout the 1900s, adoption became a separate

focus with one prominent landmark being the first professional conference on adoption hosted by

the Child Welfare League of America in 1955. xlii However, as a product of World War II, the

majority of adoptions followed a hegemonic agenda of maintaining same race and culture

families.xliii While representing a small percentage of adoptions, transracial adoptions were

unknown until the 1950s.xliv However, concerns of children losing their birth culture and

experiencing future challenges with identity were expressed by the National Association of

Black Social Workers as early as 1972 and Native American Tribal Councils from 1958 to

1978.xlv

The National Association of Black Social Workers denounced the adoption of black

children by white individuals or families on the basis that these cases of transracial adoption was

a form of genocide.xlvi Opposition of this form of transracial adoption was rooted in concern that

adopted black children were at high risk of experiencing racial discrimination, having a lack of

role models for developing racial and ethnic social identity, and feeling a disconnect to their

racial and ethnic community. xlvii The National Association of Black Social Workers voice of

these concerns brought attention to similar ethnic and social identity experiences that children

from intercultural adoptions could also encounter.

With their advocacy acting as the precedent for Native American Tribal Councils, the

National Association of Black Social Workers provided a framework that would allow Native

American Tribal Councils to stress their own opposition to transracial adoptions of Native
Americans.xlviii The same concerns of transracial adopted Native Americans experiencing an

absence of birth culture and challenges with ethnic and social identity were at the center of

Native American Tribal Councils movement. As a result of lobbying and protests, the Indian

Child Welfare Act was established in 1978, which “[specified] direct preference in foster care

and adoption be given to persons from the child’s tribe and last to those of another culture or

race.”xlix Even with Native American Tribes formally recognized as sovereign nations under

federal law, what these movements highlight was the lack of protection and resources for

adopted children, most notably for children from transracial and intercultural adoptions. The

racial and ethnic social identity concerns bear witness to the need for historically oppressed

communities to advocate for their own rights and to the need for understanding the experiences

of adopted children and widely adopted individuals.

Although advocacy around adoption has transformed since the late 1970s, the Adoption

Movement has acted as a transition from groups advocating for the wellbeing and rights of

adoptees to adopted persons receiving greater autonomy over their adoptions.l The emergence of

open adoptions, the ability for adoptees to search for their birth parents, and past controversy of

transracial and intercultural adoptions led to “birth culture” becoming the forefront of adoption

in the U.S.li For Margret Homans, in her work, “Adoption Narratives, Trauma, and Origins”, she

defines “birth culture” as the knowing one’s origins, but “often added [with] the extra difficulty

of [having the] lack of information about birth parents, date, [and] place” in the context of

adoption.lii Yet, despite controversy, newer practices of transracial and transnational adoptions

have contributed to the diversity of adoptions in the U.S. along with domestic adoptions.

In the U.S. alone, there are about 1.5 million adopted children, who comprise 2 percent of

the population.liii In the year 2007, there were 19,942 international adoptions completed by U.S.

citizens and 9,319 in 2011 when greater restrictions were placed on international adoptions.liv
With 6 out of 10 Americans reported to have personal experience with adoption whether through

family, friends, adopted a child or placed a child for adoption, the concept of adoption is integral

within American culture and society.lv

Today, adoption is understood as an option for pregnant individuals and those seeking to

have children. In many ways, adoption has contributed to important conversations around the

shaping and practice of cultural norms. Even with challenges where rhetoric and language are

used to perpetuate negative perceptions of adoptees, adoption is an understood reality for many.

From tracing the history of adoption in the U.S. to the present, there continues to be a demand

for accurate representation of adopted persons in broadcast journalism that fights against

stereotypes and family relation norms.

Method

This paper examines three adoption stories, each conducted and published by different

U.S. news broadcasting companies. These stories include CBS News “48 Hours” “What

happened to the perfect child?,” NBC “Dateline’s” “Who is Sean Michael? An Adoption

Mystery,” and PBS “NewsHour’s” “Finding Family: a Reporter Shares her Personal Story of

Adoption and Reunion.” For an adoption story to be chosen, all three stories must meet

important criteria. In order to capture different adoption experiences and work towards

understanding a holistic view of adoption, each story must represent an adoptee who belongs to a

different demographic. As such, the first examined story is CBS “48 Hours’” report about the

adoption story of Sabrina Caldwell, a white female internationally adopted from Russia. The

second story is NBC “Dateline’s” account of Sean McGavic’s adoption story, a white male who

was domestically adopted within the U.S. The third story is from PBS “NewsHour’s” and is
about the adoption story of Kaiomi Lee, a South Korean female internationally adopted from

South Korea.

Due to the focus on rhetoric and language, I chose to use Stuart Hall’s representation

theory and subtheories of the reflective, intentional, and constructionist approaches. For the

purpose of clarity and for a thorough execution of the theories, Hall’s subtheories were each

examined under one of the chosen adoption stories. Hall’s subtheories and the adoption stories

were aligned on the basis that the given subtheory was most prominent and relevant to the

rhetoric and language used in the adoption story. The analysis of each adoption story included

providing an answer to the main question each subtheory presented. These consist of the

reflective approach’s question of “does language simply reflect a meaning which already

exists?”, the intentional approach’s question of “does language express only what the writer

wants to say?”, and the constructivist approach question of “is meaning constructed in and

through language?”

Ultimately, for each adoption story, specific phrases or words were selected to be

examined under each subtheory for the purpose of their linguistic meaning to be understood

within the framework of adoption rhetoric. With consideration of the relationship between Hall’s

representation theory and mass media as well as the history of adoption in the U.S., the

positionality of each story was examined. Finally, each adoption story was explored through a

reflection of the questions: “what is the meaning conveyed in the adoption rhetoric?” and “how

does this meaning follow or deviate from the normative representation of adoption and

adoptees?”
Text Development and Analysis

CBS and NBC have been long standing in the newsmagazine genre with each television

broadcasting network having their own television news shows. With CBS News’ 48 Hours first

airing in 1988, the show predates NBC’s Dateline premiere in 1992. lvi Through investigative

journalism, both 48 Hours and Dateline are centered on presenting in-depth news stories

connected to current events. Often focused on the topics of crime and justice, featured stories are

brought to viewers’ attention with the goal of changing the lives of the individuals presented or

of the audience.

Two notable featured stories about adoption that this paper will examine are CBS News’

48 Hours: “What happened to the perfect child?” and NBC’s Dateline: “Who is Sean Michael?

An Adoption Mystery.” From featuring adoptees belonging to different demographics, each story

captures a unique aspect of adoption representation in media.

Lastly, this paper will examine A PBS NewsHour report on an adoption story. Listed as

PBS’ own nightly television broadcast, PBS NewsHour is dedicated to reporting daily news

events that include breaking and special news.

CBS News “48 Hours”

On December 4, 2021, CBS News’ “48 Hours” episode, “What happened to the perfect

child?” aired on TV.lvii Capturing an adoption story that took place more than 20 years ago, CBS

shares the story of Caralee, who currently goes by the name Sabrina Caldwell. lviii At the age of

nine, Caldwell and a three year old boy named Joshua were adopted from Russia by Crystal and

Jesse, an American couple, in 1997. lix However, three years after her adoption and at 12 years

old, Caldwell’s adoption was annulled and she was placed in a psychiatric ward in Russia.lx With

her adoptive parents claiming that Caldwell attempted to physically harm her brother, Joshua, by
throwing him over a railing, CBS frames Caldwell’s adoption story around tragedy and mental

health challenges. lxi CBS continued coverage of Caldwell’s adoption story in a follow up

interview that was aired as part of a double feature on the same day, December 4, 2021.lxii

“48 Hours” contributor Troy Roberts was the host of both the original and subsequent

interviews, in which he directs the language used to narrate Caldwell’s experience. lxiii Roberts

describes Caldwell’s mental health by noting her depression as a reason for her challenging

experience, but also reports that Caldwell “suffered from an attachment disorder and had an

inability to love.”lxiv Although what separated the follow up interview from the original interview

was a focus on Caldwell’s journey of being adopted by another American couple in 2002 and

returning to the U.S., Roberts concludes the interview with Caldwell revealing that she is

married with two children and thus Roberts state’s that Caldwell’s adoption story came to a

“happy ending.”lxv

The Reflective Approach and CBS News’ 48 Hours

The language used in the CBS News’ “48 Hours” episode, “What happened to the perfect

child?” aligns with Hall’s reflective approach by demonstrating how Caldwell exists differently

on the basis of language. In focusing on Roberts’ initial report of Caldwell’s mental health after

her adoption, he states that she “suffered from attachment disorder and had an inability to love.”

Roberts notes that this specific account of Caldwell originates from a psychiatrist diagnosis

given by Dr. Brian Kennedy. What the medical diagnosis of an attachment disorder exemplifies

is that Dr. Kennedy’s interpretation of Caldwell’s “inability to love” is acting on an assumption.

As an assertion and a conveyed implication of attachment disorder, the words, “inability to

love,” exemplifies a lack of understanding and an indication that there are no resources for

treatment. Thus, the language Dr. Kennedy uses places and treats Caldwell’s challenges with
mental health as having greater implications than the average child. Dr. Kennedy’s

communicated assumptions and assertions of Caldwell provides an answer to the reflective

approach’s main question, “Does Language simply reflect a meaning which already exists?”

That is, language can reflect meaning that an individual has already placed into existence within

their own beliefs, perceptions, and reality. In this case, it is Dr. Kennedy who is placing his own

biases on Caldwell.

What is significant about Dr. Kennedy’s language is that it largely indicates a lack of

understanding that is specific to adopted individuals. The language Dr. Kennedy's uses in his

position as a psychiatrist does not contribute to an ability to understand people who are or may

be in Caldwell’s position. Dr. Kennedy’s focus of supporting his claim for Caldwell’s “inability

to love” follows the historical patterns of both the perpetuation of negative rhetoric and media

representation of adoption.

Considering that Dr. Kennedy conducted his psychiatric evaluation of Caldwell within

the first two years of her adoption, his treatment of her mental health disregards her recent

assimilation in the U.S. Caldwell’s adoption and “placement” in the U.S. already places her

outside the societal and cultural normative that contributes to the perception that she is “less

than.” Dr. Kennedy’s rhetoric also contributes to the negative media representation of adoption

and its focus on emphasizing undesirable attributes in adoptees. Caldwell’s mental health

challenges are at the center of her having undesirable attributes and her value is reduced to her

“inability to love.” CBS News’ “48 Hours” thus covers Caldwell’s adoption story with the

prominent stigma that adoptee’s experience unresolved behavior and are abnormal.
NBC “Dateline”

For NBC’s “Dateline,” one of their featured stories about adoption aired on January 28,

2017, and was titled “Who is Sean Michael? An Adoption Mystery.”lxvi At 37 years old, Sean

McGavic recounts his adoption story in a five part series.lxvii McGavic was adopted on

November 9, 1978 in the U.S. by an American couple.lxviii Always known he was adopted,

McGavic's search for his birth parents uncovers evidence that he may have biological

connections in South America.lxix The mystery that NBC conveys about McGavic’s story was his

question of whether his adoption was actually legal.lxx Through real time coverage of his search,

McGavic describes how his adoptive parents, with his father as a politician, created the

appearance of a “whole pure family” with the finalization of his adoption.lxxi While growing up,

McGavic notes that he had “always thought that [his] parents were as natural as parents anyone

could ask for.”lxxii Appreciative of his adoptive parents and upbringing, McGavic expresses that

he had not felt a need to look for his birth parents until recently as an adult.

Despite expressing gratitude to both his adoptive and biological parents, NBC places

emphasis on how having little to no knowledge of his birth parents has affected McGavic.

Although he does not receive a definite answer on having any biological connection to South

America, the challenge in McGavic’s adoption search was being denied legal access to his

official birth certificate by a Florida court lxxiii. Thus, as a “mystery”, NBC shows the story

development from loss to recovery through McGavic’s search for his birth parents. lxxiv

In the conclusion of McGavic’s story, he reaches a breakthrough in his search when he

finds success from trying the genealogy test, AncestryDNA.lxxv Having found a close relative,

McGavic was able to reach out to his biological father through making initial contact with a

biological aunt.lxxvi Although McGavic is shown successful in his adoption search and having

closure, McGavic does reveal that he experienced an identity crisis. lxxvii Even in his own
expressed liberation of successfully connecting and ultimately meeting his biological father,

McGavic is portrayed having to reassess himself and his life. McGavic explains that he and his

wife have divorced because of the strain that this process has placed on his marriage. Yet, similar

to CBS “48 Hours”, NBC “Dateline” leaves off McGavic's story with him describing that having

both an adoptive father and biological father has “made his life.”lxxviii

The Intentional Approach and NBC’s “Dateline”

Focusing on the contrast between McGavic’s and NBC “Dateline’s” narration, the

difference in language and the formed subsequent meaning represents Hall’s intentional

approach. When speaking about his adoptive parents and upbringing, McGavic conveys that his

adoption developed both out of his adoptive parents’ desire to create a familial image and a

family. Even though his adoptive parents achieved the appearance of a “whole pure family” in

his father’s career as a politician, McGavic emphasizes that his adoptive parents “were as natural

as parents anyone could ask for.” In McGavic’s use of the words “whole,” “pure,” and “natural”

to describe his adoptive parents, there is an important association that is being made. While these

terms are often used for an individual to describe the normative connection to their biological

parents, McGavic instead uses these terms for his adoptive parents and, in turn, places this

normalization on his experience as an adopted child. However, McGavic’s linguistic use and

emphasis on his appreciation and gratitude for his adoptive parents is not continued by NBC

“Dateline’s” own narration.

Deviating from McGavic’s language, NBC “Dateline’s” approach is centering their

language on creating mystery around his adoption. Beginning with the episode’s title of “Who is

Sean Michael? An Adoption Mystery,” NBC “Dateline” already places McGavic’s identity as an

adoptee in question and deems his story as a “mystery.” Specifically, NBC “Dateline” continues
their narrative of an “adoption mystery” when they refer to possible explanations of McGavic’s

adoption to the disclosure of “a dark family secret.” When McGavic and his wife are shown

questioning whether his adoption was legal or not, it is later revealed that there is information

that points to McGavic having a possible biological connection to South America. The “dark

family secret” that NBC “Dateline” reported was an inference to the chance that the legality of

McGavic’s adoption had a correlation to his possible biological connection to South America.

NBC “Dateline’s” language that surrounds mystery seemingly amplifies McGavic’s adoption

story. Thus, the prominence of NBC “Dateline’s” language is that their focus on telling a

mystery is that it places unknown information and possibilities about McGavic’s adoption as part

of his “loss” as an adoptee.

Furthermore, NBC “Dateline’s” coverage of McGavic’s adoption story is centered on the

progression of McGavic’s journey from loss and recovery. What is significant about the

language NBC “Dateline” uses is that a focus on mystery and loss around McGavic’s adoption

works to create higher value in McGavic’s recovery of his identity and success of finding his

biological father. However, in doing so, McGavic’s relationship with his adoptive parents

becomes of lesser value. By highlighting McGavic’s unresolved loss and recent desire of finding

information about his biological parents, there is a negative connotation that McGavic’s

relationship with his adoptive parents is “less powerful” and “less meaningful.” This notion is

also expressed beyond language as NBC “Dateline” coverage of McGavic’s adoption story

follows the “media fascination [of the sometimes] short-term drama of search and reunion

stories.” Thus, it is NBC “Dateline’s” linguistic opposition to McGavic that evidently confirms

the intentional approach’s question, “does language express only what the writer wants to say?”

Even despite the negative media representation that follows, McGavic seems to have control of
his own narrative when he concludes with stating his appreciation for having both an adoptive

and biological father.

PBS “NewsHour”

In one special news coverage, PBS NewsHour aired “Finding family: a reporter shares

her personal story of adoption and reunion” on November 27, 2021.lxxix In 1971, Kaomi Lee was

adopted from South Korea by an American couple.lxxx As the reporter covering her own adoption

story, Lee describes herself when she was adopted. Lee states that she “left Korea with just a

name, presumed birthdate and the clothes on [her] back with no hope of finding family.”lxxxi The

way in which Lee’s story is covered shares similarities with NBC “Dateline’s” coverage of

McGavin’s story. Also, having little to no information about her birth parents, PBS NewsHour

captures the process of her real time search for biological family members. Highlighting her use

of 23 and Me’s genealogy test, Lee successfully finds a biological half-sister where they meet for

the first time in South Korea. lxxxii While Lee’s story concludes with the reunion of her biological

half-sister, she reveals that learning more information about herself leads to more questions. lxxxiii

In finding some closure in her successful genealogy test results, searching for biological

connections become the pivotal point for an adoptee’s assertion of themselves in stories like Lee

and McGavic’s stories. Yet, it is the adoption language that is used that shapes what is important

in an adopted person’s experience.

The Constructionist Approach and PBS “NewsHour”

As Lee is her own reporter and narrator of her adoption story, the language she uses to

share her experience reflects that of Hall’s constructionist theory and the specific discursive

approach. The way in which she utilizes language to cover her adoption recognizes how her story
fits in the history of international adoptions from South Korea. Lee’s understanding of her own

connection to that part of history includes an acknowledgement of the language systems that

Foucault highlights.

When Lee first describes herself, she says that she “left Korea with just a name,

presumed birthdate and the clothes on [her] back with no hope of finding family.” The very

limited information that Lee recounts from her adoption is a common occurrence among

international adoptions, specifically for closed adoptions. While Lee does not address whether

her adoption was open or closed, her adoption can be traced to and is rooted within a greater

historical context for international adoptions from South Korea. The international adoption of

South Korean children is one result of the Korean War that ended in 1953. lxxxiv The majority of

children who were internationally adopted were “mixed-race” from American military fathers

and Korean women.”lxxxv With the existence of strong negative attitudes towards biracial

children, the placement of Korean children for adoption became an established practice and

continued by South Korea.lxxxvi Thus, in following the constructionist theory, Lee’s description

of herself as an infant is given meaning from both the given historical period and from the

expression of her own feelings.

Lee’s language that captures her feelings and emotions about her adoption continues to

provide an answer to the constructionist approach’s question that asks, “Is meaning constructed

in and through language?” As Lee’s adoption is given meaning in the historical context that can

be derived from her exact linguistic description, meaning is also formed through the feelings and

emotions carried by her words. What is significant about how Lee narrates her adoption story is

the way in which she provides explanations. For instance, in recounting that she had “no hope of

finding a family,” Lee brings attention to the emotions of sadness and fear that can be explained

by feeling hopeless. The rest of Lee’s real time account of her searching and reuniting with a
biological half sister also captures her feelings and emotions in detail. Lee’s own narrative and

reporting on her adoption story comes off as explaining a reality. Thus, in moving away from

negative adoption language and media representation that works to devalue adoptees, Lee is

instead able to embrace her identity as an adoptee by sharing her experience. Ultimately, Lee’s

ability to narrate her own adoption story that leads to a reclamation of her adoptive identity

demonstrates the importance of adoptee’s sharing and explaining their own experience of

adoption.

Discussion

Through an examination of rhetoric used in the U.S. broadcasting news stories of CBS

News “48 Hours,” NBC “Dateline,” and PBS “NewsHour,” the language of adoption stories are

placed in either positive or negative terms. In working to answer my main research questions of

“what are the themes of the representation of adoption stories and experiences?” and “what are

the stakes of media representation theory?,” each adoption story addresses a common stigma

about adoption. These adoptions stigmas consist of perceptions and attitudes about adoptees’ as

having greatest mental health challenges, adoptees’ connection with their adoptive families is

less valuable, and adoptees’ have an inability to embrace their identity due to having little to no

knowledge of biological connections. The way in which the adoptive stories are rhetorically

conveyed influence the way adoption is represented in the media. Specifically, the stakes of

adoption media representation that is captured by U.S. broadcasting news companies is rooted in

whether such organizations support or perpetuate the positive or negative aspects of adoption

language.

Furthermore, a rhetorical analysis of the adoption stories demonstrate the importance of

having the adopted person narrate the majority if not the entirety of their own adoption story. In
the NBC “Dateline” story about Sean McGavic and the PBS “NewHour” story about Kaomi Lee,

there is an important distinction that is made from CBS “Dateline’s” narration of Sabrina

Caldwell’s story. As McGavic and Lee narrate the majority of their own adoption story, this

positively affects the way in which they discuss adoption stigmas. In McGavic’s adoption story,

he addresses the adoption stigma that conveys adoptees’ connections with their adoptive families

as less valuable. When describing his adoptive parents, he uses rhetoric that can be equivalent to

how normative biological families are represented as “whole” and “pure.” For Lee, she addresses

the adoption stigma that conveys adoptees’ as having an inability to embrace their identity due to

having little to no knowledge of biological connections. While Lee’s adoption story is centered

on her search and reunion of a biological half-sister, Lee is shown embracing her identity as an

adoptee by reflecting on her feeling of “having no hope of finding family.” What stands out

about Lee’s adoption story is that she is able to capture her authentic feelings and emotions about

adoption that deviate from negative adoption that devalues an adoptee.

In comparison to McGavic and Lee’s adoption stories, Caldwell’s adoption story is an

example that leans towards the use of negative adoption language. With the majority of

Caldwell’s story narrated by NBC “Dateline,” the way in which the adoption stigma is addressed

and conveyed does not align with positive adoption rhetoric. In addressing the stigma that

adoptees have greater mental health challenges, NBC “Dateline” reports that Caldwell’s

attachment disorder resulted in her “inability to love.” While NBC “Dateline” was narrating a

psychiatrist report of Caldwell, the news broadcasting station did not exhibit any effort in

working towards a positive account of Caldwell.

Overall, a rhetorical analysis of the adoption stories show that there is greater absence of

the use of positive adoption language when a third party, such as a news broadcasting company,

narrates an individual’s adoption story. Whereas, it is illustrated that if an adopted person is

narrating their own adoption story, the rhetoric used by the adoptee leans towards either positive

adoption rhetoric or that negative adoption rhetoric is minimized. As a whole, the adoption

stories show a progression of greater leanings and use of positive adoption language that then

influences greater media representation of adoption. Although, perhaps most notably is that

Lee’s use of adoption language works to extend positive adoption language by explaining the

reality of her adoption experience.

Why Positive Adoption Rhetoric Matters

According to Marietta Spencer (1979), “It is essential to make sure that the language of

adoption is understandable to the nonprofessional, and that attention to vocabulary is always in

the interest of the persons involved in adoption itself.”lxxxvii In understanding that rhetoric not

only constructs and expresses meaning, but evokes feelings, I argue that the way in which we use

words is the most important part in educating people about adoption.

As Patricia Irwin Johnston (2004) notes, the goal of respectful adoption language, which

is a form of positive adoption language, is “to reflect maximum respect, dignity, responsibility,

and objectivity” in conversations surrounding the decisions of birth parents and adoptive parents

about adoption.lxxxviii As an extension of positive adoption language, respectful adoption

language is concerned with the feelings that are evoked from the meaning of certain words or

phrases. In addition, respectful adoption language is not centered on entirely distinguishing

positive from negative adoption language on the basis that it leans towards objective rhetoric and

language.

Even so, positive adoption language does not exist in a dichotomy of solely determining

positive or negative adoption language. Instead, the prevalence of positive adoption language lies

in its ability to educate individuals by providing the tools to recognize misconceptions and
stigmas about adoption. These tools are also applicable to recognizing the dominant media

representations of adoption. In other words, the “tools” refers to not only the different forms of

meaning that can be expressed and constructed from the rhetoric and language we use about

adoption, but to investigate the positionality and intentionality of the narrator. Also, working in

tandem, having the awareness of who influences and controls the media.

Furthermore, what increasing the use of positive adoption language can achieve is

minimizing negative adoption language and stigma around adoption by opening the conversation

of adoption in adoptive families. This can contribute by uplifting the way in which adoptee’s

perceive themselves and their relationship to their adoptive families as equal in value to the

normative biological conception of family.

Yet, most importantly, positive adoption language lays the groundwork towards what Kit

Meyers (2014) articulates as honest adoption language, such as the terms “surrendered” and

“reunion.”lxxxix Honest adoption language, like respectful adoption language, is centered on

respect and dignity, but also an acknowledgement of “pain, conflict, and complexity.”xc Meyers

addresses these different forms of adoption language by stating the importance of understanding

adoption and adoptee’s within a historical context. Thus, Meyers assertion of honest adoption

rhetoric is the more complex and holistic understanding of adoption experiences that positive

adoption language works towards.

Conclusion

Through a rhetorical analysis of adoption language, there is an emphasis on the need for

rhetoric that expresses a consideration and respect of adoptee experiences. To answer the main

research questions of “what are the themes of the representation of adoption stories and

experiences?” and “what are the stakes of media representation theory?,” it is pivotal to
understand the relationship between rhetoric and media representation. In my analysis of

adoption rhetoric in U.S. news broadcasting, the way in which rhetoric and language are used

have the power to influence media representation. With adoption rhetoric and media

representation of adoptees as historically negative, news broadcasting companies have the power

to perpetuate negative representation of adoptees or to make efforts in showing greater positive

representation of adoptees.

Yet, despite negative media representation and the use of negative adoption rhetoric in

the news, positive adoption representation has the ability to counter these stigmas. Positive

adoption representation in the media consists of explaining adoption and showing adoption

success stories. Thus, greater exposure to adoption, adoptee experiences, and the promotion of

nongenetic family forms and relations have the potential to dramatically increase positive media

representation of adoptees.

Although, it is important to stress that moving towards greater use of positive adoption

language does not mean changing the harmonic structure of adoption rhetoric and media

representation to only be positive adoption. Instead, positive adoption language will act as the

much needed groundwork to achieve a complex and holistic understanding of adoption.

Future research to explore the reception of adoption stories by adopted and non-adopted

persons would continue to develop the discussion around rhetoric and media representation.

Specifically, research should focus on the attitudes and perceptions constructed out of an

individual’s response to different adoption stories, including media representation of adoption.

Overall, research should be centered on the reception of adoption stories in all of rhetoric and

language, media representation, and public perception.

 Ultimately, it is the exposure, conversations, and experiences about adoption that will

result in greater education and in turn, understanding of adopted persons and adoption. That is, it

is a matter of who narrates and who does not.

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i Thankful Teenage Boy Gives.

ii Ibid.
iii Ibid.
iv Gross and Walzer, Rereading Aristotle’s Rhetoric.
v Burke, A Rhetoric of Motives
vi Ibid.
vii Cherwitz and Darwin, Toward a Relational Theory.
viii Ibid.
ix Ibid, v.
x Potter, Adopting Commodities, 112.
xi Ibid, 117.
xii Ibid, 118.
xiii Ibid.
xiv Hall, Representation, 2.
xv Ibid.
xvi Ibid.
xvii Ibid, 1.
xviii Ibid.
xix Ibid.
xx Ibid.
xxi Ibid.
xxii Ibid.
xxiii Ibid.
xxiv Ibid.
xxv Ibid, 28.
xxvi Ibid, 2.
xxvii “Why positive Adoption Language.”
xxviii “Milestones: 1921-1936.”
xxix Hall, Representation and the Media.
xxx Ibid.
xxxi Ibid.
xxxii Ibid.
xxxiii Kline et al., “Covering Adoption” 487.
xxxiv Ibid.
xxxv Ibid.
xxxvi Ibid.
xxxvii Ibid.
xxxviii Ibid
xxxix Kline et al., “Healthy Depictions?”, 417.
xl Ibid.
xli DellaCava, “Adoption in the U.S.,” 143.
xlii “The Origins of Adoption.”
xliii Ibid xli, 145.
xliv Ibid.
xlv Ibid, xlii.
xlvi Ibid, xliii.
xlvii Ibid xli, 146.
xlviii Ibid, xliii.
xlix Ibid.
l Homans, “Adoption Narratives,” 1.
li Ibid.
lii Ibid.
liii “US Adoption Statistics.”
liv “How Many Children.”
lv Ibid, liii.
lvi “48 Hours.”
lvii “What Happened.”
lviii Ibid.
lix Ibid.
lx Ibid.
lxi Ibid.
lxii Ibid, lvi.
lxiii Ibid, lvii.
lxiv Ibid, lvi.
lxvi “Who Is Sean Michael?”
lxvii Ibid.
lxviii Ibid.
lxix Ibid.
lxx Ibid.
lxxi Ibid.
lxxii Ibid.
lxxiii Ibid.
lxxiv Ibid.
lxxv Ibid.
lxxvi Ibid.
lxxvii Ibid.
lxxviii Ibid.
lxxix “Finding Family.”
lxxx Ibid.
lxxxi Ibid.
lxxxii Ibid.
lxxxiii Ibid.
lxxxiv “History of Korean Adoption.”
lxxxv Ibid.
lxxxvi Ibid.
lxxxvii Spencer, “The Terminology of Adoption,” 459.
lxxxviii Johnston, “Speaking Positively.”
lxxxix Meyers, “Rethinking Positive,” 6.
xc Ibid.