“They’re not my family, but losing my whole family, if I could just have some connection to him, just some connection,” Weaver said of her adopted brother. “I just want them to get to know what kind of person he was.”
While researching a project that I am working on, I ran across this article. It reminded me that taking your search public is one method of locating your birth family or your relinquished child. Most people would choose this method only they have exhausted the more usual avenues. However, this method has been known to work.
Keep in mind that if you have found dead ends using the more traditional methods, taking your search public is an option. You could choose to interest local newspaper or television media in your search efforts. This is a method that might take some persistence.
Recently I tried to interest some newspapers in Florida in my friend’s search for his birth mother with no success. First I mailed an article to several newspapers, and then while I was in Florida, my friend and I personally delivered an article to four different newspapers in four different cities. No luck at all.
Time to give up? No, there is nearly always more to try. From some past experience trying to get publicity for various events, I have learned a bit about getting articles published. Sometimes knowing someone specific at a newspaper is helpful. If you can make a personal connection with a reporter and hook them into being interested in your story, they may be more willing to do an article.
Other times personally delivering an article to a newspaper on a day when they happen to be in need of an article in the next day or two works. For time-sensitive events, most newspapers ask that you submit your article several weeks ahead of time. I once did that, and then called to check to make certain that they had it. When they replied that they had not, I walked into the newspaper and handed them a copy. They published an article the next day.
Several years ago when I did my first RegDay event, I sent in a press release about the event and then received a call from a reporter. He asked me if I could get several other adoptees and birth parents for him to interview with me. I rounded some CUB friends up and we meet with him the next evening. The reporter did a great story which came out the next day with our pictures. Being willing to be available and produce other people to interview paid off in this instance.