WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s known as the Newseum, a seven-storey structure on Pennsylvania Avenue calling attention to the value of information in media and the cause of press freedom.
As a writer, visiting the Newseum had a special meaning for me. My wife Menchu and I spent over two hours last Monday afternoon looking over the exhibits on display in 14 galleries, each telling a story of mankind. We could’ve stayed longer and were the last to leave at the 5 p.m. closing.
The building isn’t just enormous, covering 60,000 square feet of space, but it’s also a work of art, an architectural feat that showcases a façade depicting a 57 foot by 78 foot “window on the world,” the world’s tallest glass hydraulic elevators and a curved glass memorial honoring over 1,900 journalists killed in the line of duty since 1837.
The original Newseum was opened in 1997 in Virginia then relocated in the Capital City two years ago at a cost of $450 million.
The price of admission is well worth it – $20 for an adult, $2 less for senior citizens and students and $13 for youth between seven and 18. Our tickets for Monday afternoon were good until the next day.
The Philippines is portrayed with some notoriety in the Newseum. First, the opening eight-minute film orientation entitled “What’s News” showed a photograph of Ermin Garcia of Dagupan City’s Sunday Punch as a victim of journalistic violence. Garcia was murdered in 1966 for exposing a money order racket in Pangasinan. Second, a global map color-coded countries which are free (green), partially free (yellow) and not free (red) in terms of the press by the independent private body Freedom House. The Philippines was colored yellow. And third, the two-level memorial paying tribute to fallen journalists cited the Philippines as the country with the most fatalities last year – 33 to be exact, 30 slain in the Maguindanao massacre. The reference mentioned that the Maguindanao rub-out was “the largest loss of lives ever suffered by journalists in a single day.” In all, 88 journalists were killed last year with Russia, South Africa, Somalia, Turkey, Venezuela, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Mexico, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan other countries contributing to the death toll.
The memorial had pictures of 15 of the 33 murdered Filipino journalists. Perhaps, the relatives of the 18 may wish to forward photographs to the Newseum to honor their memory even more.
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The 18 without photographs were Henry Araneta of DZRH, Rubello Bataluna of Gold Star Daily, Jimmy Cabilo of Midland Review, Marites Cablitas of News Forum, Hannibal Cachuela of Punto News, Jepon Cadagdagan of Saksi News, John Caniban of Periodico Ini, Gina de la Cruz of Saksi News, Jose Duhay of Gold Star Daily, Lindo Lupogan of Mindanao Daily Gazette, Ernesto Maravilla of Bombo Radyo, Reynaldo Momay of Midland Review, Rosell Morales of News Focus, Joel Parcon of Prontiera News, Ronie Perante of Gold Star Daily, Rani Razon of Periodico Ini, Andy Teodoro of Central Mindanao Inquirer and Ernesto Rollin of DXSY.
The 15 with photographs were McDelbert Arriola of UNTV, Arturo Betia of Periodico Ini, Eleanor Dalmacio of Socsargen News, Noel Decena of Periodico Ini, Jovito Evardo of UNTV, Santos Gatchalian of DXOO, Bienvenido Legarte of Prontiera News, Rey Merisco of Periodico Ini, Marife Montano of Saksi News, Victor Nunez of UNTV, Alejandro Reblendo of Manila Bulletin, Francis Subang of Sarangani News, Napoleon Salaysay of Mindanao Daily Gazette, Crispin Perez of DWDO and Tiburcio Trajano of Remate.
The front pages of 80 international newspapers were also on display – updated every day. Representing the Philippines on the day of our visit was the Manila Bulletin.
The Newseum has 15 theaters, one of which the Annenberg shows the 13-minute 4-D film “I-Witness: A Time Travel Adventure” relating the tales of three immortal American journalists – Isiah Thomas who endured suppression from the British during the American Revolution, Nellie Bly who posed as a lunatic in a mental asylum to write an investigative story on management abuses and Edward Murrow who did a live radio broadcast on a London rooftop during a World War II German air raid. The movie was a thriller. In Thomas’ story, for instance, bayonets appeared to thrust out of the screen and bullets fired out of muskets went directly to the audience in a battle scene.
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An interactive newsroom allows visitors to film a one-minute TV hosting segment. Of course, I chose to appear as a broadcaster for an NBA team, the Washington Wizards (no other option). The film is accessible on the internet and downloadable for 30 days.
Other must-sees in the Newseum are the eight original sections of the Berlin Wall, the 9/11 gallery that includes a mangled piece of antenna mast from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, an Elvis Presley tribute with memorabilia and video, a display of the FBI’s evidence vaults featuring Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Patty Hearst among others, the biggest news events as reported in newspapers dating back to the 1400s, the Watergate door and many more.
In sports, a 25-minute documentary entitled “Press Box: The History of Sports Reporting” relives the most unforgettable moments in history in the Sports Theater on the concourse level. An exhibit of sports photographs and a sampling of Sports Illustrated magazine covers are on display, too.
If ever you get a chance to visit this city, don’t fail to drop by the Newseum. It’s an experience of more than several lifetimes.