When the Newseum in downtown Washington closed on Dec. 31, 2019, I felt ambivalent. Was it symbolic, or not of the fretful demise of print journalism in our country?
I had visited the original Newseum in Rosslyn, VA and then again its modern reincarnation on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the U.S, Capitol. Both museums memorialized the crucial importance of the First Amendment—the undeniable need in a thriving democracy of a free, fair and unfettered press. The newer museum was notable, among other things, for its 75-foot marble tablet upon which the 45-word First Amendment was etched.
Something, however, nagged at me during my visits. When I viewed remnants of the Berlin Wall, or the twisted antenna of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, or the Watergate door linked to the break-in that eventually brought down the Nixon presidency, I wondered why a museum devoted to journalism seemed instead to focus on historical events.
While I realize, of course, that newspapers, TV and radio present what many consider the first draft of history–and I treasure that daily record—I questioned why the Newseum offered objects that belonged in the Smithsonian, or maybe a presidential library.
Due perhaps to how I studied and then practiced journalism, I believed that news gathering based on keen observation and accurate reporting belonged in the background. Except in rare instances, journalists were not newsmakers; they simply recorded what happened and why.
I suspect my comments place me solely in the past, oblivious to the personality-driven news gathering now so common in the American media landscape. We have “on air talent.” We have print reporters and columnists who have become celebrities based upon their books and TV appearances.
First Amendment practitioners now have a prominence that is pervasive and sometimes persuasive Their voices, as represented on TV and in print, have audiences craving their wisdom and viewpoints. This isn’t entirely new. So did CBS’ Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s and Walter Cronkite in the 1960s and 1970s, and the New York Times ‘renowned James “Scotty’ Reston, whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s.
It seems to me that the celebrity culture has expanded exponentially in the media profession. It’s not necessarily bad or injurious to democracy. It’s just easier to assume a position of self-importance that might tarnish the product.
When Jim Lehrer died on Jan. 23, 2020, I felt the pangs of a past long gone in journalism. For 36 years, many sitting alongside Robert McNeil, Lehrer deliberately and effectively served as an uncommonly low-key news anchor on “PBS NewsHour.” He was as gray and neutral as current anchors are bold, glitzy and sometimes opinionated.
He understood one thing above all else: he presented the news of the day. He didn’t interpret it. He didn’t show or voice any reaction to the news. He sought no spotlight. News was serious, not to be trifled with in a cute or biased way.
The PBS NewsHour, known for its objective, in-depth presentation and analysis of the news, set no records in its number of viewers. But it did gain credibility and respect among many viewers who eschewed the dramatic and damning.
As a credit to his low-key personality, he moderated 12 presidential debates between 1988 and 2012. Post-debate media coverage rarely was about Jim Lehrer.
Some years ago, Jim Lehrer was the speaker at a University of Pennsylvania commencement in Philadelphia. What I recalled was his sense of humor. He recited in rapid-fire fashion the destinations of buses leaving a Continental Trailways Bus Depot in Victoria, TX. He said it was the first time he was paid to speak into a microphone. It was very funny, particularly by a person known for being boring.
Lehrer saved his humor and observations for an academic audience. He ruffled no feathers.
I’m sorry that the Newseum closed. I hope another one emerges with more modest aspirations. I even suggest using Jim Lehrer as a model for touting the contributions of journalists and newspersons.
The First Amendment is powerful and poignant. It need not be flashy.
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.
Ross Benincasa says
Thanks for this. Wonderful writing, and I agree with most sentiments regarding the Newseum, even if I felt it was painful to see it close. However, I will say I found the Newseum useful for teenagers that may, for one reason or another, aspire to be journalists one day. Each year I would bring my journalism students on a trip to DC, starting with a tour of the Washington Post, then a look at NBC’s Washington, DC affiliate and the Meet the Press studio, ending the second-half of the day at the Newseum. Although it may have celebrated the most public displays of journalism and modern history, it gave this group of students a look at Pulitzer Prize-winning photography to counter the quick hits and news bites they see on Instagram, and allowed them to thumb through copies of newspapers reporting on events they may have learned about months before in their history class. Although they may not have come away with a better grasp on journalistic principles, it gave a group of students that didn’t remember the terrorist attacks their most immersive experience into the moments immediately after on 9/11 and 9/12, something that I imagine the few students that continued into the profession would come away saying was important, or at least memorable. It’s a tough thing to showcase a profession that is supposed to stay in the background, though I hope they find a way to pivot and continue to provide a physical space for the first amendment at a time that it is most needed.
Willard Engelskirchen says
Good piece.
One issue with the Newseum may have been how much admission cost. We took our grandson there and enjoyed it but it was not cheap. On an average admissions cover something like 5% of the cost to run a museum. People in this area are spoiled by so many free museums that paying for one is not what we want. Consider that the Art Institute of Chicago charges $25 for general admission with a $5 break for Chicago residents. The Smithsonian and associated galleries are free.
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is not free. However, most of us contribute annually which makes it near free on a per visit basis.
Running a successful museum is not easy….
Ellen Taggert says
What a pleasure to read the article regarding the closing of The Newseum by Columnist Howard Freedlander! So refreshing to read a beautifully written article! Thank you.