In 1990, following the Romanian « live » revolution, the world was astonished to discover the situation of Romanian institutionalised children. This study aims to question the way western media addressed the issue of Romanian abandoned children. Therefore, this article will analyse the construction of the cause of endangered Romanian children, both in France and the United States. The analysis of the media coverage will illustrate how Romania’s image and that of its children is influenced by a variety of factors: domestic policy, child representations, etc. on a different level, in this study I argue that, however surprising this might seem, there is no difference in the way this aspect is dealt with in France and the United States