Speaking on Oprah's TV show, Madonna refuted allegations that the adoption had been influenced by her celebrity and wealth.
She denied the baby's father, farmer Yohane Banda, had been misled: ‘I just wanted to give a child life, says Madonna' (The Daily Telegraph, 25 Oct); and claimed he had ‘happily agreed to the adoption' (Daily Mail, 24 October).
To critics claiming she fast-tracked Malawian regulations, Madonna said: ‘It doesn't matter who you are or how much money you have, nothing goes fast in Africa' (The Guardian, 25 Oct). The press were sceptical over her TV appearance: ‘Madonna in PR blitz as she defends adoption' headlined The Scotsman (26 Oct); while the Daily Record said ‘a cosy chat with Oprah is a million times more effective than a press release' (27 Oct).
The Observer claimed that even if Madonna lost ‘the battle', she would ‘have won the war by securing her reputation as a global do-gooder' (27 October).
Analysis conducted by Echo Research from data supplied to PRWeek from NewsNow.
