By CRISTINA FERNANDEZ-PEREDA
Observer staff
April 9, 2008

The Newseum, Washington’s tribute to the history of the news media, will open its doors to the general public Friday, April 11. The 250,000 square-foot museum will become a part of the debate on the future of news; where the media industry is headed and how journalism will be constructed years from now.

“I think it’s kind of ironic that it was built right at the time when the news is declining,” said Daniel Anyz, foreign correspondent from the Czech Republic.

Among the 14 exhibition galleries exploring news history, photojournalism, world news and the media coverage of historical events - such as the fall of Berlin Wall and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 - the Newseum has a special place for online media.

“These are challenging times for people who work in newsrooms. The media landscape continues to change at warp speed and we are trying to reflect that in the Newseum. What the Newseum stands for will, over the years, we believe, remind visitors of enduring truths about the crafts of journalism: that the hunger for news and information has never been greater all around the world, that democracy anywhere cannot exist without a free flow of information,” Newseum President Peter Prichard said.

Photo by FEDERICA VALABREGA.
“Journalism is the first rough draft of history.”
Philip Graham, Publisher, The Washington Post.

The exterior of the Newseum displays a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment and offers a front wall of glass that allows passers-by to see the museum’s great screen from across the street.

“We believe if the whole rest of this building was completely empty and all we had was a 75-foot marble wall with the 45 words of the First Amendment there, causing every person who comes to Washington to read that First Amendment, we believe the building would be worth it,” said Newseum Chief Executive Charles Overby.

The Newseum is a $450 million effort made at the time when newspapers are faltering, but Overby insists that the Newseum has not been done for journalists.

“As shocking as that may seem, we built it for the 20 million visitors that come to Washington every single year,” Overby said.

Newseum President Peter Prichard also emphasized the close link between journalism and history of the exhibits. Among its galleries, the Newseum includes the News Corporation News History Gallery, the Early News Gallery and the Berlin Wall section, which examines the role of the media in the 30-year history of the wall.

“This is not only a museum about journalism, it’s also a ‘first draft of history’ museum. In this museum, people from around the world can re-experience the stories of their lives, talk about them, reflect on when they were it happened and reflect on the significance of those events in their lives,” Prichard said.

The seven levels of the museum – from the galleries, theatres, retail spaces and visitor services are, for exhibit designer Ralph Appelbaum, “a journey through the words, images and artifacts that reveal the extraordinary degree to which we protect freedom of speech, freedom of the press.”

“We’ve attempted to build this museum to give visitors a wide experience that will attract them here to learn more about a free press. This is the most technologically advanced museum in the world; it is the most interactive museum in the world. It has more screen, big screens and little screens, than any other museum in the world. We built this museum to inform, inspire and entertain people about a free press,” said Overby.