A Visit to the Newseum

After our trip to the National Portrait Gallery last December, Julia had waed to see some of the other newer museums in Washington. She'd heard about the Newseum, a new museum of current events, journalism, and news gathering. (Too, the Newseum had gained noteriety over the summer by putting the Unibomber's shack on display as part of an FBI and the media exhibit.) When the Newseum announced a special free admisison deal for visitors under 18  with an adult, we thought it would be a good outing for the Labor Day holiday weekend. So, on Sunday afternoon Susan, Julia, one of Julia's friends, and I headed for the District. We drove, as I thought street parking would be available. It was, albeit about five blocks away. But, that made for a nice walk on a pleasant August day.

The Newseum puts on a very impressive display. (I'd seen an earleir version of it in Arlington, VA, in the late 1990s, but this new edition far surpasses the old.) The six upper levels are arranged around a central atrium. The design allows lots of natural light in to illuminate the exhibit space. Two important exhibits focus on reporting the events of 9/11 and the role of information in the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Today's Front Page" is displayed both outside the Newseum for passerby to see and well as in a museum gallery. (Newspapers around the USA and the world transmit their front page daily to the Newseum for display.)

In the lower level was the special exhibt "G Men and Journalists" on the soemtiemes contentious relationship between the news media and the FBI. Famous crime stories, such as the Unibomber and the Washington Sniper are on display. But, so are J. Edgar Hoover's sometime efforts to lead the media.

In the event, we spent all afternoon at the Newseum until the 5:00 p.m. closing.