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"The question on most people's lips is ...."

Erm - "why?"

Madonna's adoption of David is highly commendible and should not have been globally vilified...when did attributes such as kindness, generosity and selflessness become negative? Madonna has raised a very important issue and put Africa and Malawi at the forefront of peoples minds aswell as the option of adoption. With regards to the interview...I am glad that Madonna is finally being given a chance, in the UK, to hit back at sensationalist and rather innaccurate reporting that has been spewed from the bowels of the British media.

How much of a say did the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ have in a choice of setting? It is not normal for Newsnight to conduct interviews in a candlelit setting.

I fully support Madonna's decision to adopt this baby. Newsnight should interview her so she can tell her side of the story. The truth is this sick baby was left to die in the orphanage by his father. His father or none of his family members wanted him. Why are we judging Madonna? Just because she is a popstar and a celebrity can't she do a right thing. She is funding Charities in Malawi as well. So well done Madonna. You are giving life and hope to this small boy and we should be happy for that.

I wouldn't mind this interview at all if it was part of a wider special looking at the impact of international adoptions by UK citizens. Madonna is by no means the only person to adopt from abroad and I, for one, would be interested in seeing a broader perspective on the issue from a variety of people.

However as it stands alone, it just seems like more publicity for a singer who has been in the headlines recently and another example of how the more reputable parts of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ are now pandering to the 'celeb' factor in order to boost ratings.

I will watch the interview to perhaps find out what made her choose an orphan from Africa rather than looking closer to home - a cynical publicity stunt perhaps ?

I feel the storm of negative publicity will be harmful in the long run to David and other babies that have been adopted by other celebrities. It's going to follow them all through their lives.

David will have a fabulous life but what about the other millions of orphans all over the world who aren't photogenic enough to interest adopters whether they're famous or not. Who's going to care for them?

Why all of the fuss? If Madonna had been an 'ordinary'person we wouldn't have even known about it. What about other celebrities, mainly in America, who have adopted children from third world countries? I don't remember an outcry when they did it. Maybe it is the British media being their usual vindictive, peevish selves again.

Good to see that the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is happy to provide more publicity for Madonna, after all she hasn't been in the media that much recently.

And some people say the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is dumbing down.

Please, please, please let us see this in Scotland. A lot of the celebrity interviews seem to be after 11.00 so we don't get to see them. Hopefully this can be slotted in prior to the switch over to Newsnight Scotland. I'll be watching with fingers crossed tonight.

I dont understand why all these negative publicity for such a highly commedable gesture by Madonna. Do you people know how many of such children do exist in Africa? Do you know how madonna has been helping other children in this same country? Do you know how many Africans employ crude tactics (like faking birth Certificates) to illegally bring relatives and other orphans to europe to give them a better life?

As an African, i understand the suffering of my people. Each time someone tries to be of help to any african child, i feel extremely delighted. There are Billions of Orphans and suffering children all over Africa. Madonna should be encouraged and supported for such a gesture rather than being criticised. Our people are dying everyday and all we need is that little action that can change the life of a person. I suffered like David though not an orphan but through the goodwill of the swedish government, i found myself in europe. I would be wrong and ungrateful to think or say that i have not got a better life after leaving Africa.

Personally, this woman gets too much media attention and is always fighting off the press right? You know the body gaurds etc. Now that she wants them, she is happy to give a story? I wish everyone would give her the cold shoulder and see how she likes it.

I am happy for the child, he will probably have a better life with Madonna than where he was.

I do hope that Madonna adopts someone in the UK that is need, I am sure there are many children who need adopting who are in need.

Why are the media creating all this fuss about Madonna. I don't know anybody who objects in any way to her adopting a kid from Malawi. In fact we've just been discussing this in the office and the general consensus is that we wouldn't mind being adopted by Madonna either.

It is so important to get the facts across about intercountry adoption. For most it is a long hard slog..where their lives are picked apart to find out if they are suitable, the paperwork is endless and the journey full of surprises. So much rubbish has been written about this adoption...by people who have no knowledge of the process involved and no concept of the apalling, damaging and unsafe conditions many children live in and it appears they would rather have Madonna go out and buy handbags than adopt. Equally many people have no idea of the difficulties of a domestic adoption and all that it involves. It isn't the same. It's interesting how so many people think they are qualified to comment!
All adopted children are entitled to privacy and one fears that David is rapidly losing his..but still please could someone tell the truth.

Those opposed to this are unbelievable. Whilst ranting about the unfairness of the speed of the adoption process or claiming that this is a patronising act from Western culture towards Africa, or that it's inappropriate to save a child when he's no more special than any other child in a bad situation, they don't seem to realise what they are saying. Okay, so we accept these arguments are correct - what do you want to do? Put David back? How cruel would that be?

By complaining about Madonna's actions you are effectively saying that you would like to see a little boy, who has the chance to live an absolutely privileged life, put back into squalor. Now that IS appalling.

Madonna has started the ball rolling, and whether it was a good/bad/wrong/right decision is now irrelevant. Children are not Christmas presents, you don't take them back to the store for a refund, or because you didn't like it. She's a wonderful woman who uses her extreme wealth and fame to help charitable causes, let it be. The only thing that's going to come out of this is that some little boy is going to have the most amazing life possible. End of.

"The question on most people's lips is ...."

Not mine!

Ok, so Madonna finally gets to give the world her answer to the burning question. Clearly she chose the timing very well, as she did the candlelit setting. I wouldn't have minded the interview but for this and the absence of someone with knowledge of what really happened. I doubt this interview will silence her critics because there're now too many 'truths' out there on this story. I really would have loved to hear Bob Geldof's view. As far as celebrities go, he seems to have more sense than money, just like Bill Gates!

What is the problem with Madonna adpoting? If what I heard this morning is true that she offered financial help to the boys father and it was rejected then whats the fuss with her giving him a good home if is father is happy about, if not then that would be different, nobody has said anything about Angelina Jolie adopting from 2 different countries so why is Madonna being targeted, Good luck to her and her family>

I think it is an important news issue and that newsnight is the correct forum for it - it has clearly raised a number of interesting arguments both for and against and if Newsnight is using the interview to stimulate a debate - that is exactly what it should be doing. The fact is - it also highlights the conditions young children in Africa face. Newsnight should be covering topical news issues of the day of which this is one. Well done for getting the interview

Please keep this self publicising woman off of the television.

I'll be interested to hear Madonna's side actually because all we have been fed [by the media] over the last couple of weeks is a kidnap story. I just hope that Kirsty Wark will be a little more pressing than Oprah and that the interview is balanced. I don't want Madonna's "people" to dilute Kirsty's interview.

I must have been without a television licence for longer than I thought. At what point did Newsnight become Entertainment Tonight?

If this nonsense is typical of the efforts of news reporting within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ then I can only hope that someone puts the entire corporation out of its misery. It would be the humane thing to do.

Er, hasn't Madonna got another childrens' book to promote? It is not so much that the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ got lucky with their timing of asking her. Madonna uses the media to her advantage once again.

How much did it cost the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to get a interview with Madonna?

Well I'm going to take this from a different perspective. For all the money she probably spent on lawyers etc to adopt why didn't she just give that money to David's father to set himself up and look after his child himself. She doesn't need to adopt a child to give them a better life, with all her money she can help to create a better life for many children. Call me cynical but its all about publicity and its certainly served her well. I'm afraid I just think she's a self-serving, publicity hungry sleb.

I have recently been on my first holiday to Africa and it was the most emotional moving experience. There are so many wonderful men women and children who despite having so little could teach all of us so much. They just need a chance and some help to improve their lives.
I have followed Madonna throughout her career and always found her to be a totally amazing woman, I think what she has done is far from a publicity stunt - she only needs to pick her nose to get in the papers - some people can't seem to understand she really does have feelings like you and me and cares about people. She is just one person who is in a fantastic financial situation where she can help make such an impact and really help to make a difference. Good for her & best wishes for a long and happy life to her and all her family.

Well done Madonna, you have got the money, time, space etc to raise a needy little boy, and he really does deserve to be given a better chance in life. Where were these anti adoption groups when the poor little boy was left in the orphanage, presumably they were visiting him, providing for him, giving him love, affection and attention!! Were they balls, leave him alone to enjoy the rest of his much improved life.

Did anyone else see Jo Whiley interview Madonna straight after Live 8? After her glorious bit of pointless and foul mouthed self-promotion on stage she went on to tell Jo Whiley that she had never been to Africa and never had any plans to.
The pictures of her I saw dancing with the natives made me feel sick to my stomach. The woman is a PR machine who costantly reinevents herself to represent what is perceived as "cool" at the time- as is evident throughout her career.

I hope she is exposed by the show, without doing Kirsty a disservice I wish it was Paxo giving her a grilling.

I say leave Madonna alone. She offered money to the family and certainly acted in the right way. These groups are out to make trouble and those are the ones who should be condemned - not the person who is about to change a little boys life for the better. Surely there are plenty of other things in this day and age we should be fighting for!

I have watched the growth of this story with fascination. Who cares?

As mum to a fabulous daughter who we adopted as a baby from overseas 4 years ago I feel I know something about overseas adoption. From start to finish our adoption took nearly 4 years! We were vetted extensively by social services in the UK for over a year-including an obligatory 6 week(end) adoption course. Once approved to adopt, we waited a very long time for the UK foreign office to process our application before it was sent to Guatemala. Once there we again waited to be matched with a baby,and then had an 8 month wait whilst the adoption was processed in Guatemala. Then we had to apply for an entry visa, and once our daughter was ( finally!) home we had to have another year of home visits from our social worker before we could apply to re-adopt her in the UK as the Uk doesn't recognise the adoption process in Guatemala.
It was all worth it -she is the most amazing child ever.
We couldn't have children and decided to adopt from overseas as we wanted to raise a baby, adoption in the UK is very complicated and babies are very rare. As we were over 35 we would not be considered to adopt a child of less than3 anyway, so the choice was simple for us.
I don't know if Madonna and Guy were able to sidestep the UK adoption system...although I doubt if they were as it's very strict and I can't see how they would get an entry visa for David any other way....
Whatever, I applaud Madonna for her action. The simple fact is this child will have a fantastic life, and, lets not beat about the bush here, he will actually LIVE to enjoy his now privileged existence.
Madonna and Guy's family have obviously embraced this little boy and welcomed him...he will always know he's adopted and no doubt want to do more to help the ones left behind when he's older...which he'll be in a position to do due to Madonna's wealth...she's set up some charity too I hear.
I believe Madonna and Guy wanted another child and when this didn't happen naturally they decided to adopt...good for them...I doubt very much if David will regret his new family...after all he now has a Mum and Dad and siblings to love and take care of him..which is all every child ever wants and needs.

Good luck to them all

Those of us who have been around long enough recognise Madonna as the ultimate self-publicist.

The question I would like answered is whether her adoption of this baby was just a further (and, if so, tasteless) extension of the strategy to keep her in the limelight in what is, likely, the later stages of her career.

If it wasn't then she should be commended for her actions; one less starving baby is good news after all.

However, she surely cannot be surprised at the reaction and the suspicions about her intentions, can she? This is a woman who, once every 10 years, reproduces the crucifixtion of Christ on stage, presumably to "shock" and get publicity...

In today's times, with so much heartache around, it's uplifting to hear a story such as the Madonna adoption of baby David. But attached to this, there has been the negativity of all the red tape, and the recent news that another American couple was also interested in adopting David; with David's father prefering the option of adoption by the latter so as to avoid all the publicity. David's life has been changed forever through the adoption. But to be quite honest, if I was Madonna, I'd recognise their governments's short-sightedness as well as the father's ungratefullness at the new start his baby is going to have and send the baby back to Malawi. There are millions of other hopefuls in poor African countries who I'm sure cherish the thought of giving their a new start at life.

The actual question is: will tonight follow the well-trodden route of such interviews - Princess Di, Michael Jackson etc. - and be more of an attempt at a manipulative PR stunt rather than a serious piece of analytical journalism?

I know where my money would be!

Why do people get so defencing about a celebrity doing something good for once, why does she need to be in the press about it? why does she need to be center of attention, that is the question on my lips, there is no need for it, she adopted a Child from a 3rd world country, so what, she is giving a child a chance, others will too probally, so what if it seems to be a craze amongst the celeb world at the moment, at least the children are getting a chance.

So stop fussing and making something that isn't a big deal, a big deal

jees!!!!!

Personally I dont think theres anything wrong in adopting a kid whose parents and country have agreed.If anything thats the luck that most of us poverty stricken people would wish for.I lastly want to congratulate Maddona for the compassionate heart she has,its a gift from God.How I wish most stars there in the western world emulated har.

No on BOTH counts....

Adorable David HAS a family....if Madonna truly cares about him...not just a 'cute kid and publicity'....she would sponsor him, and assure he and his family are provided for. If she TRULY wants to adopt, there are many Orphans in Africa for her to choose from.....better yet, why not choose a child in need closer to home?

Nightline.......have you run out of REAL news?

The money Madonna has paid to adopt this one child she could have set up a trust fund to help hundreds of children, this is a publicity stunt as is almost everything Madonna does.
These people don't need one off donations and payouts they need help with a structured education system and business investment not one off adoptions.

I think the real issue here is not that Madonna has adopted an underpriveledged child, i believe it is that somewhere along the lines people believe she has not conformed to the rules.

I think that celebrities should NOT be allowed immunity when adopting. Rules is rules, and should be applicable to everybody.

IF somwehere along the lines Madonna has broken an adoption rule, then rather than suggesting that David is taken away, a penalty should be paid. that is generally what happens when the law is broken.

Fine her then, but why all the mud slinging and name calling. The authorities should step in and fine madonna if she has done wrong. If not then they should release a public statement saying so.

There has been much nonsense spoken in the media and elsewhere, by people not in possession of all the relevant facts. Thus I regard the Newsnight interview as a positive contribution to the debate, and I can't think of a better person to cut through the hype and get to the truth than Kirsty Wark. It'll be serious and unsentimental, and it'll become clear what the real motives and facts were.

Sadly I suspect that it won't stop the popular media printing whatever they like. Madonna was on a hiding to nothing with this, she isn't stupid, she knew that from the start, and I suspect that her motives were good and honest. I hope this comes out in the interview, and I think she has done a lot to highlight a serious issue that few of us were aware of.

Surely it's better for a child to be brought up in a loving family rather than in an orphanage?
Madonna should be highly praised for 1) adopting David 2) for trying to help the plight of children in orphanages in Malawi and 3) for highlighting the whole issue .
The people who are being critical of her actions should perhaps look at themselves to address their own prejudices.

Why interview Madonna about adopting a child?
She's adopted a child. Good for her.
What will be so earth shattering about "her side" of the story?
Here is your story..."American musician and her British husband adopt child and give money to African community."
No need for the interview, the column inches, the debate. Everyone happy? Good.
Perhaps I've got this wrong. Perhaps the interview will get her response on the reaction to the adoption. If she's got any sense then her reaction to that would be a simple shrug of the shoulders. Why on earth should she care about what anyone (outside of those directly affected by the adoption) thinks?

Africa's HIV - AIDS crisis needs many Ma"donor"s of this world to handle the crisis that is threatening to wipe away the future of Africa. I believe baby Banda will grow up to be useful to this poor continent than remain in Africa at that age to beef up the number of children not going to school, or malnourished. Remember Malawi is under the sword of hunger so are the other subsaharan countries!

Adjumani, Uganda

It's newsworthy, but it seems a shame to get sucked in by the glamourous end of what must be a much wider story. It looked a promising idea to interview Pete Doherty, but the interviews were cringingly self-absorbed. There's no need to encourage further preening. Who benefits?
What do those left behind in the orphanage in Malawi have to look forward to? Who else adopts from Africa? How do adoptions like this turn out? Are there any really "open" adoptions?

Please we should try to commend Madonna for what she has done. The boy in question will definitely have a better life and this will allow him to explore his potentials in order to contribute his quota in the society. I so much believe we should use what we have to help the society and this Madonna has done.
She should be encouraged and others should please follow suit.

So you'll draw an expanded audience - good for the viewing figures but is this really important enough for the time you're going to give it?

Is the story overseas adoption or did Kirsty just want to meet Madonna (don't blame her if this is the case!) but still not sure it deserves the airtime.

This is going on for far too long.Good deeds fair enough,but given
her wealth she could have sponsored
this boys family,and some more if she
had wanted.Also she could have paid for his Education at a top School.Then again that wouldn't have
created this media circus she SO enjoys.There are far more practical
and less press interest roused ways
of helping this Boy.However credit where it's due she has helped the kid
enormously,one thing Poverty is most
definitely a thing of the past for him.Does this mean he will be writing
his life story in a year or two???.

WHO CARES who Madonna adopts?!

For what it is worth, Madonna has given one poor child an otherwise unimaginable life chance. Good luck to him and her.

BUT, please you are Newsnight after all, could you report some actual news? Surely the new Madonna and child is a Newsnight Review story at most.

IS there really nothing of import going on in the UK and rest of the world that merits the attention of the Newsnight editorial teams? If the answer is no, I suggest you find new editors.

I can't understand why so many people are against Madonna. She should be applauded. It makes me wonder whether people would have reacted the same if David was white. This is not a publicity stunt. Why are others so quick to judge. Madonna is in a position to offer David a better life than he would have had. Would they rather she left him to grow up in poverty?

"Was Madonna right or wrong to adopt a Malawian baby?" What does the child's nationality have to do with it? The child could have been from Chad, Nigeria, etc. What is at focus is whether it was legal for Madonna to adopt the chilc considering he still has a living parent and perhaps other relatives who could take care of him. Now it's not a good idea if she used her fame and fortune to gain the child. There are so many children out there waiting to be adopted and probably would not be as much a hassle. She has allowed it to go this far and has possibly bonded with the child a bit. If all else fails she could just seek adoption in another country, choose another child in Malawi or offer charity to the entire village.
I'm glad to see that someone wants to adopt an African child regardless of nationality, age, etc. Too many African children are ignored for the top preference of Asian or Eastern European.

Why Malawi - whats wrong with the 1000s of British orhpans?

No matter how romantic it sounds, bringing up a child in their own culture is easier for both the parent & child.

Why the publicity - surely this should have been kept a private affair for everyone's sakes. Is this a sign of things to come for David?

Finally, Africa needs a hell of a lot more than us so called rescuing a few kids.

Frankly I don't know why Newsnight should air this interview - surely it would be better to air it on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 4. Far too much has been made of this adoption and far too much publicity given to Madonna. I have many friends who have adopted children from Bangladesh, India, Africa, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, etc. and I am sure Madonna hopes to legally adopt David for the same reason they all adopted their children.
Good luck to her and to little David but please, please do not use valuable time from Newsnight to air this interview

I can't help but feel like Madonna wanted to have the baby and so it was made to happen, no matter what the red tape. I find the whole situation very dubious indeed - the father's change of statement, the relaxing of the laws. It is just another case of a rich person getting their way, why is this newsworthy?

I can't believe how much abuse Madonna has received at the hands of the UK media over this adoption. She simply wants to extend her family and being in her late 40's - this is a logical route and not a Brangelina style copycat publicity stunt. The fact that she is offering a child a better chance in life should be welcomed, not ridiculed.

This interview comes with her right to give her side of the story, not simply generate publicity - it's not as if she needs any more! She's fab.

The kid is bound to grow into a well adjusted adult, it will have the best Nannys that money can buy (not sure how much of his adoptive mother he will see though).
Besides this isn't a new thing. Mia Farrow did it years ago and her kid is sound, she even ended up marrying a film star!

Again a celeb with more money than sense gets her/his way and tramples over international adoption laws. If Madonna and her like really wanted to help the children of Africa why not pay for a new orphanage/hospital or 24hr medical care? Instead a nice new baby is such a more visible fashion accessory.

I find it difficult to comprehend why people should feel so vindictive towards a woman who can give this child an amazing chance in life. The vilification generated by the media and other groups over such a generous act is beyond belief. I only hope the Newsnight interview will give Madonna the opportunity to argue her case convincingly before a judgemental public and tabloid press.

What does the women get herself when she has almost everything? A new and suitably 'cool' baby!
Im sorry she knew exacly what she was doing by grabbing the bairn as soon as she could to the UK, nobody how much against her and her despicable action would want that poor child to be sent back. What gives 'celebs' the right to steal kids from familys? I was bought up in a rough neighbourhood to poor parents, does that mean anyone richer could whisk me away from my family when I was a child to give me a 'better life'?

Madonna probably could not have adopted a child in this country. The experience of friends of mine would indicate that she would be considered too old, regardless of her circumstances. Good for her for going somewhere else and for making a difference for just one little boy. Those people who think African babies should stay and die rather than be adopted by rich white folks think they are PC but actually they are deeply racist. I say good on Madonna for making a good and humane commitment to this boy.

Why is Newnight lowering itself to interviewing a Pop Star (and a highly manufactured one at that)

Leave interviews like these for the likes of OK! and Hello magazines.

If Madonna did it to raise awareness of just how easy it is to do whatever you like provided you have enough money, she has done a fantastic job!

Well done Madge!

For the ignorant people who keep posting, "why doesn't she raise David's family", "Give the father the money", or my personal favourite, "why not pay for a new orphanage/hospital or 24hr medical care" - if you watched the clip, you would see the father, according to Madonna, rejected support when it was offered.

And as for starting a new orphanage, she has started several, and David was actually living in an orphanage she supported. Get your facts straight before you start bad mouthing someone trying to do a bit of good in the world.

I think Madonna only has herself to thank for this negative reaction to her reasons why she should adopt an African child. Whether her claims are truthful or not and how can we know, she has used the press and staged so many "offensive-to-some" performances over the last 15- 20 years to gain publicity from near-pornographic coffee table books to crucifying herself. At those times she blatantly did not care how many millions of people she was insulting. For once I thank the press for questionning her reasons, as children cannot be bought or sold however rich or arrogant you are. And if she has adopted for the right reasons then she should be grateful the rights of children are being looked after and bear with the system.

As someone who has spent several years professionally caring for disturbed and deprived children, I find it offensive to learn of the manner in which this 18 month old was just lifted from his familiar environment. I believe it is deeply harmful psychologically to a child at onset of 'exploring age' who has already had his first closest tie disrupted by death, and then is just packed off like a parcel without any time to get to used to and bond with the new people he will live with. He probably hasn't even seen many white people before. Transition care isn't in it....Unbelievable!
At 18 months and already having lost his mother, this little boy needed continuity of decent quality relationships. Whilst orphanages may not always be ideal, this one did certainly provide local familiar care and cultural continuity. I find this adoption, and much of the media reporting and blog commentaries on it , not far short of obscene.
Rather than growing up as a well adjusted adult because, as your bloggers say, of the wealth he has landed in, he will be at significant risk of loss/ bereavement depression and/ or wary aloofness, both during adolescence and in later life.
Wealth isn't a substitute for torn relationships.
The whole incident just angers me as insensitive and at best naive, at worst a sign of narcissism.

Puck de Raadt

There are worse things happenning in the world than Madonna saving a child from a life of suffering. And ahem.. excuse me but surely her actions are highlighting the problems faced by other people on this planet.

I say try and go beyond a big brother style response and think about the real issue at the heart of this ie, We should be doing more for Africa

madonna is great!

First, we should be grateful to Madonna for this human deed which must be as a model to be followed by all stars and wealthy people.In this way a lot of children can be saved form death, famine and diseases in different parts of the world .High respect to you Madonna. And Of course Newsnight is right to interview her so that people can know the real motives behind this adoption .

I've nothing against adopting babies but surely there are many white babies waiting to be adopted without the guaranteed colour related persecutions to come in school and workplace which a black child will surely have to endure.

The Madonna and child question for me is simply this, if you can afford to do more, why don't you?
And more for the record is for example, giving money to orphanages without strings attached, maybe setting up a foundation that provide micro-enterprises for poor famililies so they can have the expectation to raise their own children, like most families in Europe and North America hope to.
Granted Madge is only a popstar so maybe we should only expect a popstar like resolution and not one which is ultimatley about benefitting the communities she visited. After all she isn't God, is she?

Well done Madonna . Your human deed can be taken as an example to be followed by all stars and wealthy people . In this way millions of needy children can be saved from death, famine and diseases in different parts of this world . Of course Neswnight has the full right to interview Madonna so that she can know expalin her motives behind this adoption. High respects to you Madonna

How much of tax payers monies is Newsnight going to pay for this interview?I would only hope you sends the cheque of the interview with Madonna to the orphanages in Malawi,having added your interview's earnings, as you do suddenly seem to care for children in that part of the world.

To be honest some of this will be a publicity stunt based on past experiences, however, I don’t doubt that Madonna will give much love and attention to this child (more than the child would ever have been given at home), however, despite his Mother dying at child birth (a crying shame), he could still grasp the love and affection from his biological father, which money cant buy. I am clear that Madonna will provide for this child as much as she does her own but I am concerned that this child will be brought up in the much hated world of the press and will no doubt be in the papers/plagued by the paparazzi over the coming years, such as first day at school which is a family occasion. I was brought up luckily by my Mother and Father and Brother and in no way did I go without and when I was old enough I done stuff in the house for my Mother and worked, which set me up for when I had a place of my own. I just hope that this child does not get spoilt to make up for Madonna and Guy Ritchie incapability to give the child what he truly deserves and that is proper family values and nurturing from his real family.

Only Madonna & Guy (let's not forget her husband) know what their intentions may have been in adopting this child. The positive side to this is that one child has been saved from a lifetime of poverty. That's one less child suffering. That has to be a good thing right? Yes, she could have sponsored him and his family to avoid the need to take him away from his roots. But does throwing money at something in this way really solve the underlying problem? Madonna would have probably been criticised for doing this as well (i.e. throwing money at a cause which is thousands of miles away and detached from her country mansion in England). Either way, Madonna cannot win whatever she does. Surely the way forward to ease the heartache of millions of children like David is to actually address why these people are suffering in poverty in the first place. Corrupt or badly run goverments? Red tape? This is what Geldof tried to hightlight in the whole Make Poverty History Campaign.

The real question is not Madonna and Child versus the burkah peddling radical clerics and their henchmen in the hills of Pakistan and Afghanistan but whether or not ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ can successfully clone "The Larry King Live" show on CNN. Without live call-ins from viewers, I'm afraid they've got a way to go yet. Britain is on its way to cloning an artificial liver so there's reason to hope it can reproduce its own version of a particular television talk show. I know Madonna would agree to take calls but would Mullah Omar? This is a test of just how persuasive ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖzeera's advance men can get. I'll bet Al Jazeera proper could. Here's an idea, how about a live discussion show between Madonna, America's material girl and the Islamic cleric in Australia who says women who don't wear the veil in public are like meat begging to be dragged off by any stray cat. Talk about juxtaposing opposites.

I think all the people that are slating Madonna for the adoption have a screw lose. And trying to say that she deserves all the negative press because of the shocking things she's done in her career is just a joke. All those that are trying to say she's done it for publicity.... well it says more about them than it does Madonna. She's trying to raise awareness of what's happening in Africa and at the same time she's trying to help a little boy. What's the problem? All you moaning minis should shut up complaining and go and help the kids in Africa yourself if you're better qualified. Get a life, I can't believe the worlds so full of nasty, selfish people who object to this. It's shocking.

I don't have any objections to Madonna objecting an African orphan per sae, but all her money can't buy him happiness. Is she just doing it for publicity, or because she genuinely cares? If she is going to love him the way a mother should then there is no difference between her adopting him, and for example, my mother adopting me.

I am really pleased to see so many positive comments on this sight after reading all the negative ones in the media (mainly from women journalists strangely enough) I think what the richies have done is fantastic and should be applauded not condemned. Its ridiculous that Madonna has had to go on these programmes to defend herself and her family. So what if she's getting publicity for her book or new single (which is out on monday by the way).

p.s and to all those she's offended over the years.... ever thought that you needed offending?

Why should someone's opinion offend you, just because you don't agree with it? Chill out!

Well done Madonna for the adoption and for 'offending' everyone, I think you're great!

I am in the process of adopting from this country, please be aware despite previous comments Madonna would not be too old to adopt, the laws regarding this changed in December last year, nor is it as difficult or lengthy as people make out.
I am concerned that Madonna will not have had the preparation and education recieved by adoptees during the assessment process.
Is she then ready for the challenge ?

For those on the inside who know madonna - they will tell you off thw record that she is primary a copy-cat... why all of a sudden does she choose to adopt? its obvious thats she is cynically following in the footsteps of angelina jolie! we also have to question the motives of the child's father! ultimately this child will suffer ridicule, wagging tongues and intrusion - as time will show! dont think madonna thought about that when she pressed to get her way?!

Everyone has their eccentricities, celebrities more then some, and adopting a child is much more then just buying something off the shelf.Its personal, a another human being, and we the public as humans do not have the right to decide what is right or wrong, If Maddona wants to adopt, let her...at least she has the resources to give a child, a better life.Who are we to deny that?

Madonna's decision was a private matter.

The war in Afghanistan is a public matter.

Is it just me that can see a fundamental difference between the two and just cannot comprehend Peter's comparison?

"Journalists trusted by 19%", says a recent survey. That's lower than politicians. Wow.
Maybe they should go and see a doctor (trusted by 92%).

It's true that opposing this adoption can seem mean-spirited, and to oppose it can appear tantamount to insisting the boy be put back in an orphanage, but those who are for the adoption should also realise what they appear to be saying is, "The richer a celebrity is the less the rules apply to them and the more money a person has the better a parent they'll make." Which is clearly complete nonsense.

People are opposing this abecause it's a precedent, not as a simple adoption.

Why wasn't there the same fuss over Angelina Jolie adopting? Perhaps because she went through the proper processes? Did the press coverage Jolie got affect the number of celebs seeking to adopt overseas?

And has anybody else heard the rumour that David Banda already had an American adopter lined up before Madonna stepped in?

I really couldn't care less. If NN is trying to change its demographic, this isn't a way to do it. And I for one won't be watching. Grow up, all of you!

Well said Debbie (32).
An international adoption requires all the same process as one in UK and can take years. One London Borough says that it has too much work and therefore any international adoption will be relegated to the bottom of the list and in effect never be dealt with.
How was this process handled by Madonna's authority? Had she already been passed for adoption when she went to Africa? People waiting endlessly for the chance to adopt have been hurt by Madonna's apparent easy route, and would like her to explain how the process worked for her.

The standard of comments makes me think some people don't deserve inventions like television or programmes like Newsnight on it.

The Madonna adoption story has been one of the biggest news events all year, it has had blanket coverage on TV and throughout the printed press in magazines and newspapers. It also passes the best test of any mainstream, popular cultural event: there are jokes about it being told in every office, shop, warehouse and pub in the land.

Yet Madonna has only given ONE interview, to Oprah in the US. I imagine the standard of questioning will be tougher and more interesting on Newsnight and it is undoubtedly a great scoop and despite the unbelievable snobbery of most of the comments above, millions of people will be watching. After all, millions have brought the newspapers and magazines she's been in.

Whatever her motivations,whatever her reasons, surely the issue of adoption is more about the welfare of the child? I am not suggesting that life as Madonna's adopted child will be a life free of worry or stress, far from it; but it will probably be better than the options that were open to him in the past. If only for this reason can we just let Madonna be.

Adopting African orphans/kids is for a good cause but the best solution is to provide long lasting solutions within the African communities where their lives are improved. For instance alot of charitable organisations are now into poverty alleviation programmes in Africa.These are making an impact to the African society. Do not adopt but offer whatever support you can to change these lives.

Whatever her motivations,whatever her reasons, surely the issue of adoption is more about the welfare of the child? I am not suggesting that life as Madonna's adopted child will be a life free of worry or stress, far from it; but it will probably be better than the options that were open to him in the past. If only for this reason can we just let Madonna be.

Very definately wrong!! What time can she possibly give the poor little chap?? let alone her own children, being a HUGE attention seeking celebrity. He is going to stand out for the rest of his life. He had a difficult life ahead when he was born, they have been made far greater now. Whether she adopts him or not .... it will end in tears ......... David's!!

Best wishes to Madonna and her family. I'm a Brit living in the US. My American hubby and I have adopted 4 children from China, 2 girls and 2 boys. Our oldest is now 16 years old. Our children have been embraced by our local Chinese community and have attended Chinese school since preschool age. They are very happy well adjusted kids adopted at age 2, 2 1/2, 4 1/2 years old our 3rd son at 8 months. They are also proud of their cultural heritage and see themselves as Chinese American. Raising kids either adopted or by birth is a challenge but fulfilling and rewarding.
My advise to Madonna is adopt at least one more child from Malawi so David has someone who looks similar to him and shares his cultural heritage in the family.
As regards fast tracking to adopt why not?......... if it gets a child the needed medical attention and warmth of a family. We fast tracked the adoption of two of our children, we didn't do anything illegal just found the quickest route to get them home.
As far a we know all our children's birth families are alive but chose not to raise them, they were all found abandoned on the street. If you have ever visited an orphanage in a developing country (as most of you emailing probably haven't) it has a profound affect on you. You might see things a little differently.

Why have the media taking such a negative view on this - one only needs to realise that she was trying to make a difference to a life, that would otherwise have been a desperate struggle to live - why have the media poked there nose in to a very private matter. This should not be cover so widely, the media onely cover this to boost rating and sell papers, as they know of Madonnas following.

What a total waste of licence payers money. Who actually cares what this Madonna woman does.
Is this really worthy of being called news?
Whoever is responsible for this decision should have a size nine shoe up his backside.
After which, escort him back to his rubber walled room.
Not forgetting to take any sharp objects from him, especially his pencil.

Why did not anyone complain when the late Maureen Reagan adopted a girl from the war torn Northern Uganda?
Thanks Madonna, Angelina Jolie and all the unsung heroes who feel for Africa rather than World Bank officials and the like.

From my point of view, Newsnight could have saved itself the trouble regarding the Madonna interview.
I feel sorry for the baby, of course, but cannot understand all the fuss and am horribly bored by so-called celebrities. I thought Newsnight was a refuge from such tosh.

They do not feel for Africa, it is an add on to their 'me me' lives, just like the big car, the big house etc. And please ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, stop wasting my licence money by fawning over these people. Who cares.

Whilst I think that any indiviual who adopts is truly wonderful, I find myself questioning why Madonna (and other "stars") have to go to other countries to do so. Have we not heard about the child poverty in the UK and the USA? There are children in orphanages in the UK crying out for a good loving parent, as Madonna no doubt is. Madonna can financially support countries and projects within Africa, but she could also have helped a child in this country, or indeed her own country.

Whilst I think that any indiviual who adopts is truly wonderful, I find myself questioning why Madonna (and other "stars") have to go to other countries to do so. Have we not heard about the child poverty in the UK and the USA? There are children in orphanages in the UK crying out for a good loving parent, as Madonna no doubt is. Madonna can financially support countries and projects within Africa, but she could also have helped a child in this country, or indeed her own country.

Madonna was right, not only has she lifted one child out of a life of poverty, her charitable work in Malawu is magnificent. Who are these people, including Bill O'Reilly of Fox, to criticise the good work she is doing.
It has not been remarked upon that Hastings Banda was the long time president of Malawi. Any relation or is it a fairly common surname in Malawi?
Tony Burleton

I thought when you adopt a child, is usualy an orphan. In Madona's case seems more like a business transaction. If the kid has a father why adopt him? There are so many kids in undisputed worse case that need a family like Maadona's.

This news story was started by the tabloid press and what was reported would clearly be offensive if inaccurate. Of course Madonna wants to set the record straight (as would any other person) and if here detractors were given such a public forum it is only fair that her defence is given the same public forum (naturally she has opted against lining the pockets of one of the tabloids). According to Madonna: (1) financial assistance was offered but declined, (2) there are no official adoption laws in Malawi (3) David's father and extended family have never visited him in the orphanage even when he was seriously ill. We don't have to believe her, but ask yourself what the people contradicting her are basing their opinions on? This debate consists of one party's views (who has first hand information so, unless she is telling lies, her statements are compelling) versus other parties' views who are guessing (with such parties being mistrustful of Madonna due to her pre-existing public persona).

I hope the interview will will not simply promote her like the grovelling interview Oprah did. This is a serious issue, and unfortunately this woman, Madonna , or whatever she calls herself is using a simplistic (colonial) method to deal with a complex African problem. I will be watching closely.

The question on my lips is not "how on earth did you manage that?"

It is "why is Newsnight joining in the trend for dumbing down and spending time on pointless celebrity gossip rather than bringing us real news?"

I think that children living with a parent who is THIS famous have a hard enough time leading a normal healthy life already without being dragged from one side of the world to another, without ending up in richess straight from extreme poverty. Other people have applied to do the same thing but get scrutinized by adoption agencies, to be turned down. Madonna bought herself a baby and is now getting scrutinized by the public and the media. and rightly so.

Whose interest comes first Madonna or the adopted baby. If the baby could talk he would still want to be with his real father. Parental love is not the same as economical love. If Madonna really cares about this baby she should offer the father a job in her household and make it possible for the father to visit the baby as often as possible.
If I lost both my legs in an accident I welcome any help from anybody no matter what. But if I lost only my left leg the last thing I want is some body braeking my right leg so I can have a wheel chair. Thank you but no THANK YOU, give your love where you do not have to separate families in this way.

For goodness sake leave the poor woman alone, surely that child will be better off in this country, stop looking for motives

Adoption of an unwanted child should never be a bad thing, only whether there are more deserving children who could have been adopted.

Whether Madonna's choice was correct or not, one thing does stand out in my mind, when was the last time any celebrity gained this much press coverage over something this ethical ?

Is this material worthy of Newsnight?
I think not.

This guarantees my finger hovering over the channel buttons.

Cannot you think of a more fatuous means of wasting licenceholder's money?

Is Newsnight right to interview her? Of course, the answer to this is yes. The episode has clearly stimulated debate about a range of issues which are so much more important than the latest mind-numbing takes on the Blair succession saga/circus. It will be very interesting to see how Wark manages the interview, given the espoused wish to let Madonna tell her side of the story.

I feel Maddonnor,
Should buy the dad as well, and use the dad as a baby sitter, and show him how to cook, and be of a good service to the wealthy family, it is all well and good kidnapping the child but there is a way round this bring the father out of poverty as well.Do not for get the dad is heart broken to loose all of his family, the boy is the only servivor left, so lady with the money go buy the dad and bring dad into your world, teach him, your world and he can be with his child, you see he has the right to change his mind and by the law our land the courts have to bring the child back to the birth parents, if the parents change their mind and give no consent.

bare that in mind go get dad out of the hell hole.

Yours sincerely
the honourable maria chapman

As a Madonna Fan you tend to agree with what Madonna does or does not do. But with this subject I was well and truely on the fence! I asked many questions why did she not offer aid to David's father, Why not put more money towards medical care? But I came to the conculsion....who am I to judge? I don't know the true facts involved the conversations that Madonna had had with Davids father/lawyers/goverment offcials. As a human race we should all embrace Madonna and Guy Richie for opening their hearts and home to another child. If left in his native country David would live a life of poverty could die of hunger something we take for granted! Or even from a treatable illness. Why do we pull a part those we want to do well by other's and not praise them for the great role they are playing to help?

I cannot believe Newsnight, of all programmes, wasted time, money and journalistic resources on this.

For one thing - Madonna lives in London. She did her much-hyped interview with Oprah Winfrey via satellite from a London hotel room. So why did you fly Kirsty Wark and a crew to the US to interview her?

Secondly - who cares?! We want serious, worthwhile, important news on Newsnight. An interview with Madonna is none of the above.

And lastly - ooh, look, she just happens to have a new children's book coming out.

You have my email address; be so good as to drop me a line when normal service on Newsnight is resumed.

Madonna said she said the fact that her baby had dirty nappies when she saw him appalled her. One of the reasons she adopted him. There were 500 kids in that orphanage she went to. A quid a week for each kid would have solved the nappy problem. So that's 500 quid a week, £2,000 quid a month, £24,000 a year.

She wouldn't even have missed it.

And all the kids would have benefitted.

A point that might have been made by Kirsty if she hadn't been clearly overcome by the celebrity, the candles and the all gauzy background.

Did Madonna in her departure reject the most needy infants and those who define what a state of emergency is? Yes is the answer. Does this make her more Bette Davis than Mother Teresa then! Again yes is the answer.

Here is why

Point 1: Madonna could have had her pick of healthy children from America and Britain, however she chose to ignore their suffering stepping over them and travelling thousands of miles to adopt an infant living in a state of emergency.

Point 2: In my opinion Madonna chose to rescue the healthiest not the weakest baby from what she claims is a country in a state of emergency, at the same time Madonna is rejecting the most needy and those who define what a state of emergency really is. For example, the babies and infants in Malawi that have aids, disfigurements, loss of limbs and so on.

Point 3: Madonna did not say that she would not have been able to cope with an aids or seriously ill, dying child. Instead, Madonna has implied that she and baby David were destined to be together, we connected, our eyes met, we had a connection, more Oscar performance than a serious lifeboat rescue! Her actions appear very good and they are but her words betray her actions making a mockery out of her claim that she wanted to adopt a child living in a state of emergency.

Point 4: Madonna did not rescue a child from a death camp, she chose a relatively healthy, beautiful, bouncing baby boy and why I ask you.
Because even with his pneumonia David will be easier to deal with, so much for the state of emergency then!

Dear God, what is this woman trying to do? I have major reservations with the modern day trend of desperate parents 'purchasing' children from countries where the money is too tempting for impoverished parents who are otherwise destitute. There is little evidence that these children have a better quality of life in their new countries and I believe that this culture is horrific...little more than human trafficking that we see so often among adults. Why do infertile couples believe that their right to parent supersedes disadvantaged parents in impoverished countries who need their money? The illusion that they are bringing these children to a 'better life' is the justification for this immoral process. Why in the world this woman with (I think) two children of her own, feels the need to do this is beyond me! If she really needs to help, set up an orphanage in Malawi and fund it forever. I think she needs a new publicity item and that happens now to be a human child.

Commendations and accolades to madona and her husband! much love.

Madonna comes from a large Catholic family, and has in the past made no secret about her desire for a big family.
She has had two children naturally & as she ages has turned to adoption to enlarge the family.
I expect more kids will be added, I just hope this tabloid frenzy of hate doesn't put her or indeed others off adoption.

As Newsnight interviews go, Kirty's with Madonna was about as fawning as you can get. Why wasn't Madonna pressed on any of the points - some of which were ridiculous - that she raised?

Madonna claimed that she received no special treatment while in Malawi. Yet it escaped the attention of Britain's media that in fact she had a meeting with Malawi's president, Bingu was Mutharika, on October 10 (see ). The details of the meeting were not released, but it is extremely unlikely that the subject of her adoption was ignored. Moreover, she was meant to receive an official welcome on her arrival from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Resources. Are meetings with Malawi's president and an official greeting from a cabinet minister prerogatives granted to all prospective adoptive parents? Amazingly enough, no. Maybe, just maybe, Madonna's status as one of the world's most famous women had something to do with her unique experience in this regard.

Madonna also said that Malawi's adoption laws should be changed "because when the whole of your adult population has been wiped out" you [the Malawian government] need to help speed things up. This is an absurd, disingenuous and patronising comment. It is completely false and presents a wholly bigoted and negative view of the country. Even more significantly, if carried to its logical conclusion, Madonna's statement suggests the adoption abroad of all Malawi's one million orphans - virtually none of which would return to contribute to the country. Malawi has few natural resources. Its people, its population, are its most valuable resource. Without its people - especially its children - Malawi has no future. Mooting the mass adoption of its children is tantamount to advocating the eventual deterioration of the country.

Am I the only one that sees this new star fad as nothing more than "adopting a puppy." I am in NO WAY comparing a human life with that of a dog, but listening to Madonna's comments (and to be fair those of others) sounds very much like adopting an ASPCA pound puppy. What will these bored stars do then the novelty wears off? Why give one person millions when you can millions to the people? Is it to make them feel good or you?

Why is that Madonna is fast-tracked and my husband and I have 1kg of paperwork and two sides of A4 on our pet dog. We are on our 20th month, hoping to adopt from Russia, and on our 6th year trying to become a family.

dear peter,give yourself a pat on the back for getting the madonna interview.she obviously wanted a serious outlet for her frustrations.congrats.
love alia,xxx

World strife has left countless victims in its wake but none less guilty than our children.

We see in our own societies the effect of diminishing time to parent and parenting skills themselves.

And yet instead of focusing on the core issues, we brandish those who try to make a contribution to the solution, as self-serving, innapropriate, or abusing their power, position or wealth.

All I know is one more little boy is not shivering in an orphanage.

He will wake up tomorrow and know love, nurture and what it feels to have a full belly and clean clothes.

I have not been a huge follower of Madonna, but in her maturing and growth as a mother she is making the ultimate commitment and only the years ahead and the development of her baby into a functioning, productive, well adjusted and loving adult will be her judge.

I wish her well as I do her son.

So many aggressive and negative comments about a situation that I thought was a generous and kind thing for Madonna to do.

Such arrogance toward her and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

Many children all over the world suffer dreadfully. One woman and her husband take steps to help one child. And get soundly abused. How weird.

It is higly commendable for stars who can afford to do so to adopt from "poor countries", but is that the best option available?
While it is fine to help one child, have they thought of how many children can benefit from half of what would be used to support one child.
A food for thought is that even in "rich countries" where these stars are from, there are hundreds of children who can also benefit from being adopted, so why don't we always let charity begin at home, as we say in Nigeria.

As a child of 4, whose mother had died and whose relatives on the one hand did not want to help the bereaved father but on the other hand prevented him from getting married again, I feel uniquely - albeit one area where I do not wish to be unique - qualified to empathise with Madonna's choice to bring this child away from the family.

Of course my father re-maried despite relatives going tsk-tsk. The relatives then found out that my father did indeed have the wealth to send me away to an expensive boarding school and then they started creating hassles with the step-mother, making noises about how they wanted to help but my father was too proud.. I am inclined to believe my father rather than them.

But my step-mother did for me what Madonna is doing for this child. It is not easy to take on someone else's child whether through adoption or through marriage.

I should think in Britain, where so many children experience good and bad step-parents, people would understand and see this in a better light. But clearly I am wrong. People are more interested in Madonna-bashing than in seeing what it does for the child.

It is a common pattern - people go tsk-tsk over a small nearly-orphaned child, then go ga-ga when his fortune changes, then become jealous and want a piece for themselves. I have seen it and pardon me for believing Madonna for once might have acted as a mother and not a 'star'.

I was an African child and was essentially adopted by the community of Bletchingley in Surrey. They sent me to school, university and to finish my training. I am now able to provide for my family, 1 500 people who work on my farm, and their 15 000 (fifteen thousand)depenedents.

I have an English mother and father and brothers - the Brownriggs. You do not hear me squeal about having missed on my heritage. I can read about it in books.I needed the love that Ron, Frankie, Mark and John Brownrigg gave me far more than the ability to herd cattle.

I can herd cattle wigh the best of them now, but the support I received from the Brownriggs could never be replaced; and I needed it then.

I am shocked to discover that I am on the same side of an issue as Madonna, but this time the lady knows what she is doing, and she has my full support.

Kind regards,

Trevor Tutu

Why all this fuse ? Is David the first child to be adopted ? Madonna is doing good and the so called NGOs in Malawi can't be happy because they use the same orphans to generate there own income.Lets give David and Madonna our prayers.If you ask the people fighting against the adoption what they themselves are doing to help the poor.Iam sure they will tell you alot of lies.madonna please don't give up!!!!

The media should just leave Madonna and her family alone. Let them get on with the lives in private.

I can not see the real problem with Madonna adopting David. Why is it so wrong that some one out there wants to give a deprived child a better life? So she has celebrity status and a bulging bank account, there is nothing wrong with that. Lets not forget her pledge to donate a huge amount of money to help other children in Africa.
This is never blown out of proportion when a member of the public adopts. Can't we leave Madge and baby David in peace - it's a big step for the little one and he will need a lot of love and support from Madonna without the added pressure of the press causing her stress.
Lets appreciate the good deeds in the world - not condem them.

Good luck to them I say.

Was it just me? Did nobody else see through her well thought out, well timed (lovely candles by the way) interview!
Look at it again - full of holes and mis-truths.
I have lived and worked in Malawi for many years. Yes the orphanage probably is in a terrible state. Madge - if you want to spend money then let all the kids in that orphanage have 3 good meals, clean beddings & toys. How can a mother pick 1 child and knowingly leave the others with their 'daiper rashes' and 1 bowl of nsmima per day (As The Queen of Pop put it). How did she make that decision? If nothing else that shows her self centred, arrogance come shining through. People do not change!

The setting was so ridiculous that I felt I am watching angel and devil face to face. Very unNewsnight.

Thanks for explaining the set and lighting Peter, but what's the justification for allowing Madonna a lengthy section of the interview to plug her childrens books? This was far more reminiscent of the sort of obsequious celebrity interview I'd expect from Graham Norton than a serious Newsnight item.

I don't condemn you for interviewing Madonna per se but I was far from satisfied with the end result as presented.

I'm not a fan of Madonna, but I think the media treatment of Madonna's adoption is very harsh.

Dispite the fact I think Madonna should have adopted a black, white or mixed race child in the UK. Which I think would have been far more commendible. I do however think Madonna's reasons for adopted David Banda were for the personal reasons, not for publicity.

As far as transracial adoption goes, I think Madonna is a great person for this because she is an intelligent and cultured woman, who will beable to balance David's cultral view very well.

Adoption is wonderful, providing the adoptive family has the means and stability to provide a good home. The suggestion that adopting a local child would somehow be more virtuous is silly, parochial, and very likely underpinned by racism. As for Madonna's decision, this intense focus on something that is a very private family matter is perverse.

If only people with the finacial muscle acted like Madonna,Africa would have noticed the difference in 10 to 15 years from now.

I think the question it's even wrong. Who is wrong to at least try to save a kid??? Even if it's from your own neighborhood!!!
The thing is, for sure, that she is right and she is trying to help humanity, the way she (Madonna) knows like nobody else... by the media. I can tell you that 2 out of ten people in this world didn't knew Malawi or it's situation before Madonna but they knew about Nicole Richie, she got things around and got our attention, that's good. On the other side you don't see papparazis building houses for the needy or media anchors raising kids from a third world country... they're just taking, not giving and unfortunately we are listening to them, we are following only the sensational and believe with all our hearts every bit of news they provide us, even if it's false. That's why Madonna has to create a polemic situation, to grab our attention and make us realize that the world is really suffering and need us... while we are watching Paris Hilton Sex tape.

My apologies to George Entwistle and Peter Barron for confusing the two in my earlier email.

But the following still applies:

I cannot believe you sent Kirsty over to Madonna and had her sit in that gothic set. You're Newsnight not Vanity Fair.

As in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, now even Newsnight has been taken over by the celebrity obsession.

If Madonna truly wanted to defend herself properly and maturely, why didn't she sit across Paxman? Kirsty does culture. This isn't culture. This is political, international relations, social sciences.

I have been watching Newsnight for over fifteen years. I don't think Newsnight of ten years ago or even five would have stooped to this level.

Newsnight's reputation has been cheapened.
Very Sky News, v GMTV.

I am incredibly disapointed. You've lost sight of your audience in order to appear cool and hip. And sadly, I feel this is the way of Newsnight's future.

I doubt my views will be taken seriously; most likely scoffed at and then deleted. But I felt it important enough to write. I care about this programme and it has become even more important over the years.

The statement most revealing to date by Madonna about the pending adoption is this: "If only my wealth and position could have made things go faster." The fact she fails to address is that her wealth and position did just that.
The Ritchies have not been approved as adoptive parents by their own
local authority in this country and brought the child here without
undergoing adoption due process. This is profoundly offensive to
hundreds of families who are enduring the long and arduous process of
adopting from overseas.

The couple's approach to adoption--along with Madonna's
statement--provide a good example of the ugly arrogance which
celebrity, money and power breed. What seems to have been lost here is
sensible and mature consideration by the proper authorities of what is
in the best interests of the child and the other children of the
parents.

What further insults families in the UK with legally adopted children
from overseas are Madonna's claims that her actions are a
challenge to current adoption laws and that criticism of her and her
husband is racially motivated. The issue is not what she and her husband did, but how they did it.
It's time for the smokescreens to come down and for the Ritchies to do the right thing: apologise.

Great scoop Newsnight - but what a shame Madonna is so boring, stupid and affected. Remarkable that on a grown-up programme she had no answer to any of the basic criticisms of the adoption..

I don't want to comment on Madonna's adoption but I do question her call to make it easier to adopt children from countries like Malawi. Perhaps we can save the future of many children but what about the future of a nation after the children have disappeared? Shouldn't we really be committed to ensuring the future of both children and their home?

Confirmation (if any more were needed after the ludicrous World Cup car stunt) that Newsnight has forfeited all right to be considered a serious current affairs programme.

The excuses for the preposterous set are just that - and underwrite the fact that this piece of vanity publishing should have had no place within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's once-respected flagship new analysis programme.

Youb could SEE Paxman cringing in the intro.

Awful judgement by Newsnight.

I don't care about pop celebs at all, or the things they care about.

I do care passionately about Newsnight, which is thoroughly diminished by this encounter.

There is mileage in discussing Africa, adoption, aid, aids and the rest, but it isn't down this road.

It's a conceit for your producers and presenters to believe they can get away with such indulgences away from current affairs, even beyond art - into an absurd celeb vanity interview - and still claim credibility in their serious work of news analysis.

If Ms Wark seeks a second career let her have the one she clearly seeks, and give someone else the chance to build some journalistic gravitas. Shame, I thought she could be so much more.

As for the producers, there must surely be little hope.

What a missed opportunity!!
Not very interesting questions!
What about :

If he has been in an orphanage so long he may be suffering attachment difficulties. Are you aware of the likely behavioural difficulties this will bring and the possible impact on your other children?

Would it not have been better to have donated money for drugs and staff to care for him in his own country where he has relationships with people? He could have then returned to his family when he was older.

How has he dealt with the shock of the move?

How will you ensure his African identity is nurtured?

It is a real shame when Newsnight fail to reach the heart of a debate with integrity. With the tone of last night’s interview so outrightly compromised by subdued candlelight, what hope was there ever of unravelling an honest or revealing discussion?
The reason why this debate has arisen, is not about negatively denying a tiny baby a different life or someone's right to adopt, which is a wonderful thing - but because Madonna has overtly contravened the laws, as they stand, and seemingly jumped queues. This does matter, because Celebrity has a copy-cat effect and because there are all those doing it the 'right' route, who have been left frustrated and upset.
Madonna has said previously that nothing moves fast in Africa. But working for an African Aids charity, which I do, and having been there numerous times, which she has not, this is misconceived nonsense. If you choose to pay your way, or have influence, the path can often be smoothed most satisfactorily and speedily.
Madonna is a consumate and admirable talker, but it didn't take a psychologist to see the shaky foundations of her Newsnight 'justification'. Most journalists would have fed in to that and pressed the buttons harder. If you really want to reveal the intentions, then have the courage to pursue the answers.
Madonna made some glaring mistakes, and that is why people are debating this issue. It looks shallow from the outside and for once, her carefully guarded veneer has cracked. As already mentioned on this site, at Live 8 last year, Madonna talked of never even having been to Africa. This is not an area of life, from a humanitarian or political point of view that has obviously consumed her, and it is telling. There is something unbelievable about all of her very recent actions. Indeed, why not donate money to the greater cause of those children livng with Aids and HIV in orphanages, rather than taking out a child who already has a living parent and family and could just be helped? And how come she got to choose? Most adoptive parents don't have that priviledge. It normally takes years to adopt, not months – and that is for a reason. People need to adopt with the appropriate legal and social guidance, forethought and understanding.
Lastly, one really does also consider this issue - is it a ‘given’ that a life of huge money and flashing camera bulbs is really a ‘better’ life? Personally, I have witnessed far greater reaches of happiness and humanity in Africa, than I have ever experienced in Europe or America.

I am American but have lived in the UK with my British husband and family for nearly 3 years. Having seen two good countries and experienced much of what they have to offer, I truly believe that a child growing up in care here in the UK or US is still going to be far better off than one in an orphanage abroad - especially in Africa.

So the argument over why she chose to go to Africa as opposed to the UK is beyond me. At least the kids who are not adopted here in the UK and US have the opportunity to make something of themselves... although it is VERY difficult - at least it is not impossible!

There are so many who live without even basics - why criticize? And why is this our business? I think people are just moaning because yes Madonna is a celebrity and sorry but the world does work a little faster for people with money... so why complain about it? No it's not fair but why go as far as to complain that she should not be allowed to adopt the child?

Shame on humanity for being so shallow. Shame on all of us for allowing our cultures to evolve into one of gossip and unjust judgement of another human being.

And while we are all tucked into bed tonight - all warm and with full bellies - let us remember the poor children who are still there in Africa who have had their one meal today and are sleeping in a shared area with hundreds of other children, all with limited love and human contact with people who should be there for them --- PARENTS!!

Not a brilliant interview, but pretty good. Was it prepared for Newsnight at the last minute though? The footage of Madonna's children having a little debate seemed to be dropped in to the interview footage very roughly and without much explanation. I didn't see it all as having the immediacy for it to be rushed like that. But congratulations on securing it at all. Madonna is a highly significant figure in cultural terms, the first woman too be so in charge of her musical career, internationally, and so successful, challenging and thought provoking.

As with most things she presents to the public, Madonna has clearly done her homework, and comes across as an erudite and intelligent woman. Her children are not fashion statements, or here today, gone tomorrow fads. She will raise all of them to adulthood, when she herself will be in her mid 60s. How many women have the energy to take on that kind of commitment to such devoted motherhood, so relatively late in life?

She is a woman of passion, energy and integrity. Pretty good virtues with which to raise children. People can accuse her of picking a 'designer third world baby off the shelf', but you can bet her millions of dollars her commitment to them won't wane once all the media attention has died down.

Let them be - a loving family.

i love the courage madonna took to help young david banda, let god bless madonna and the child.

Just one thought - madonna - whatever her motives is now responsible for a small child who has left all that is familiar to him. he is in london with a nanny and madonna is in new york - how exactly is she being a mother to him.

I am an AfRICAN WOMAN. I always wanted to adopt children and I know I will. Will I EVER be allowed to adopt an Eastern European WHITE child from an orphanage?

NO. White adopts blacks, not the other way round. Why? you tell me.

Saint MADONNA wishes more people to be able to adopt. Yes, more white people doing their bit for humanity and saving poor black lives.

200 years ago, that was called SLAVE TRADE. NOW IT'S CALLED INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION! How about stopping to steal money from Africans, with unfair trade rules, debts that dictators , impose by european governmenet, took from european institution! how about MAKING AFRICAN POVERTY HISTORY?

Of course she has the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to interview her and give HER side of the story, will we ever HEAR \David's father part of the story. She demonises him already knowing HE cant do anything.

Shall I remind you, and I am extremely PROUD OF THAT, that it is Malawian human rights group who stood up and questionned this adoption? The truth will be known anyway.

Why other celebrities adoption never turned into this circus! first they did not send a PA to get the "Package". Angelina Jolie's picture holding baby Zahara to me is one of the most beautiful, true love, care and motherhood.

Money and the glamourous life does not matter when you have lost your your identity.

i am afraid that's what David Banda will tell us in 20 years.

I AM SO SAD FOR MY AFRICA...

I'm still confused on why magician David Blain gets ridiculed for starving himself when there's so many people really starving but no one points the something wrong with Madonna suffering up on the cross, which besides being tired and old, is just as pathetic as Blain. Aren't people suffering in the billions now at LEAST as much as Madonna???? If Blain had been spitting on the cross would anyone of had the guts to complain? Madonna HAD to adopt an African baby,she's always been so close to the African_American community here in the States, didn't ANYONE see the token black studs in her video or her 15 minutes with Dennis Rodman???? Plus her daughter has a book coming out, and she HAS to have an album coming out. I've heard what Bob Geldoff has to say and it wasn't very nice either.

Perhaps it's just the way of the world.
Perhaps we need to accept the whole situation.
Perhaps there's nothing more can be done.
Perhaps there needs to be more gratitude for Madonna and other celebrities.
Perhaps they are the gods of our civilisation and as such must act as gods do.

I struggle most nights to stay awake long enough to watch newsnight. I am embarressed to see a once important current affairs programme descending into farce. I do not care about Madonna. I resent valuable time being taken on the coverage of this self serving individual. So what if you didn't pay her- she should have been paying you. Newsnight is not there to promote the interests of so called stars. Get a grip or get a new editor.

She had no business adopting an African child. How much did she pay the father?

But I don't agree that the producers got it wrong. Madonna is a celebrity through popular acclaim. She should be interviewed because millions of people are interested in her and fascinated by her. I can see why! The set was perfect for her.

First i would likke to appreciate Madonas humanity and i dont hink she adopt an 11 years oldchild. but when people start doing something good evil people talck negative. please miss Madona dont worry about such a rubbish talck.i appreciate your humanity.the bbc producers please give my emaile to Madona i have alot of questions to ask her.thank you.

I am a huge fan of Madonna, but unfortunatley Madonna cant adopt a child without the whole world and his wife having an opinion. In my mind lots of celebreties have adopted children and never get any critisism but why does Madonna?lets not forget the huge amount of money Madonna has given to Malawi and setting up the charity "Raising Malawi". I do not think she is wrong in giving David an opportunity to progress and develop which he may not of acheived in his home town. I feel sorry for Madonna in feeling that she has to justify her private life to the whole world. I have no doubt that certain hoops where jumped through due to her status but lets not forget an important issue of David. Out of all of this the only focus has been on how underhand it all is and not what good has come out of the adoption. I wish her and her family all the luck in bringing up David.

I was very surprised to see that Newsnight felt that an interview with Madonna was
worthy of their programme. I have always watched Newsnight and found it refreshingly free of the world of celebrity and media manipulation. The totally staged candelabra lit set made this viewer feel that the interview was being conducted on Madonna's terms only --not the setting I believe for a respected news programme.

Id just like to know why there is so much fuss and criticism aimed at Madonna for wanting to adopt a child from Malawi.Other celebs like Angelina Jolie have adopted from African countries and nothing is said.
Madonna is doing a great deal to help the country with her charity project Raising Malawi.The key word here being charity.It is NOT a pay off for David.
Why cant people see the good in which she is doing instead of being negative all the time?!
Surely they can see that David will be alot better off than he was before.Isnt that the most important thing??

jenny wrote: "I think the real issue here is not that Madonna has adopted an underpriveledged child"

This wasn't me. Perhaps a first letter in a different case might not be noticed by many and Newsnight's, and The Editors blog now needs to move to registered names?

Why on earth is Newsnight doing celebrity lifestyle interviews with ageing popstars (Madonna and her adopted baby).

This stuff should be left to Richard and Judy or Lorraine Kelly and not to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's 'flagship' current affiars programme.

You can never tell the future. Let's wait and see.

I am intrigued, you have published many emails on this subject, some of which are highly critical, yet you have not published the one in which I asked why Newsnight had attached so much importance to the attempts of a foreign celebrity to adopt an overseas child, yet completely ignored the calls in Parliament here for an apology to British mothers who lost their children through adoption since the 1950s, and a public inquiry into the abuse of these mothers and their childrens human rights. Whilst having no sympathy for Madonna, she is a very easytarget and attaching so much importance to this particular adoption attempt just helps to obscure a much bigger and significant story.

Madonna is absolutely doing the right thing! The bottom line is, save a child!!! The rest doesn't matter! Having been to China as part of an international adoption in 2003, I feel I have the right to say this! Children are suffering all over the world in orphanages. It is sheer lunacy to attack one family for doing what they can!!!They have my support, and the media should find a new victim-of-the-week!

Subtitles for the Madonna interview please. Would appreciate it.

Many thanks,

Patrick

Comments submitted in the 24 hours between numbers 173 and 174 seem to have gone into some void, or can they still be found?

Listening to her faux British accent, knowing she's doing it to try and appear the proper British mom (and maybe a little cultured?), gets on my nerves....not just mine but all our local DJ's that love to play back clips of her British words mixed with her Detroit accent in the interviews. It's really funny as an American. I don't know if you guys notice it or not...we do.

Awful. Not worthy of newsnight.
Can't the PR puff be left to Mr Ross on Friday night.
That set...argh
I hope such a thing is never again seen on what is supposed to be a flagship of some kind of standard

Good for you, Mrs R. She appears to be an involved and active parent whose family is all important to her. I'm sure she'll be a great foster mother to David, and that the authorities will ensure his every need is met (not least because she's under the world's media spotlight).

She's taken more than just a wealthy philanthropist's view of her foundation in Malawi: she genuinely cares about the children and the families in distress there.

Let's hope however, that as much attention is paid to less public adoptions, for the children's sake.

For those of us who find the manner in which Madonna and her husband took custody of this child--along with the help of the Malawian and British governments--ugly and repulsive, there is an answer. Do not buy any Madonna product or any publication that includes photos of her or her family. Instead, make a donation to a proper charity that seeks to better conditions in Africa without the pricetags of indoctrination or lives of small children.

Madonna's done great.
If David's family are unable to care for him as they wish then I am glad for Madonna to be his new mum.

She also deserves a chance to explain her motives and to shut up the cynics that say she is just courting the press. She doesn't need to court them, she's so loaded she may never live long enough to spend it all or even for her children to spend it. The cause she supports can do wiht the publicity and it's making people sit up and take notice of children that could so easily be forgotten.

I think she did do the right thing. Human Rights groups are far too academic. Yes there we need to do other things rather than adopt - like help these nations not get into these problems in the first place. I haven't got time to go into that. BUT adopt ! Yes adopt in the short term - adopt when there are children in care ADOPT!
I think the fact that Human Rights groups would rather sacrifice the live chances of these children.. just to prove a point and have control.. quite scary ! Adopt but ALSO - put in place Malaria eradication and other measures.

I solely support Madonna I have also adopted a little girl from South Africa and have been able to give her opportunities that she would never have had in SA such as private schooling. Unless you have lived or been to any of the Africa countries, you will not appreciate the circumstances of these innocent children, to give a child a chance to a better life experience is the greatest gift of all and to be condemned and critised for it shows that you have absolutely no understanding of these countries. No matter who you are or what your status, I am just an ordinary single parent who holds a secretarial job, no millions in this house. Madonna is no different from me or anyone else who is prepared to share.