Places: The Newseum: A Museum of News in Washington (VOA Special English 2008-04-20) The Newseum: A Museum of News in Washington Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.) Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember. And I'm Barbara Klein. This week on our program, we take a look at Washington's newly opened museum of news, the Newseum."There's a big story breaking at the circus but nobody seems to know what's going on. [Animal sounds.] O.K., rookie, it's your job to get the story and scoop the competition. We know what happened, when and where. You need to find out who did it, how and why. Ask questions, get the facts and file the story with this P.D.A. as soon as you can. Now get going." So begins one of the many interactive games at the Newseum in Washington. This game, "Be a Reporter," is played on a small screen in the Interactive Newsroom and Ethics Center.

This area of the Newseum also includes an activity called "Be a TV Reporter." For an extra eight dollars, visitors can read the news in front of a camera. Afterward, they receive a picture of themselves and instructions about how to download a video of their performance.The Newseum opened on Pennsylvania Avenue, next to the Canadian Embassy, on April 11th. It was formerly located across the Potomac River from Washington. The Newseum opened in Arlington, Virginia, in 1997. But it closed in 2002 after a decision to move to a bigger space. The newly built museum has 14 galleries, 15 theaters and 16 zillion video screens. One of the galleries is the Berlin Wall Gallery. It tells the story of the four meter high concrete wall built in 1961. Communist East Germany built the wall to separate itself from democratic West Germany. The wall was torn down, and the two Germanies reunited, in 1989. The gallery contains eight pieces of the Berlin Wall. It also includes a watch tower that stood not far from the "Checkpoint Charlie" crossing between east and west Berlin.

Three large screens in the gallery show three different movies about the history of news reporting on the Berlin Wall. Another gallery tells the story of the al-Qaida terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001. The 9-11 gallery explores how the media covered the story of the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people. SOUND: "The building is falling right now. People are running through the streets. Smoke is everywhere. People are filling all of Broadway." The Twin Towers, New York's tallest buildings, collapsed after being struck by hijacked passenger planes. In the center of the gallery is a burned and twisted part of the broadcast antenna that stood on the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Also in the gallery is a damaged piece of the Pentagon, the Defense Department headquarters, which was also struck by a plane. And there is a piece of the fourth plane used in the attacks. Investigators found that the hijackers of United Flight Ninety-three crashed the plane in a Pennsylvania field after passengers revolted. The gallery also has items from news photographer William Biggart. He was covering the attacks in New York City when the second tower collapsed and he was killed.

On the wall of the gallery are front pages from 127 newspapers reporting the attacks. The newspapers are from across the United States and 34 other nations.The Newseum has a newspaper gallery that changes daily. Copies of front pages are received electronically from more than 500 newspapers around the world. Eighty are printed for display. The others can be seen on touch screens. A nearby gallery displays thousands of historic publications. The oldest is a clay brick from more than 3,000 years ago. The brick has cuneiform writing on it. The symbols tell about the building of a chapel in a temple of a Sumerian king. Also in the Early News Gallery are reports on the Battle of Agincourt and the Salem witch trials. The battle took place in France in 1415; the handwritten news report appeared the following year. The Salem witch trials took place in Massachusetts in 1692. The gallery describes the many ways news traveled before and after the arrival of the printing press in the 15th century. Included in the collection is a 19th century West African harp. It was played by musicians who sang about current events and spread gossip.

Among the displays about the history of news is one called "Can the Press Be Trusted?" It has examples of stories that were invented by reporters or told only one side of an issue. The display also deals with the use of unidentified sources, and the risk of mistakes when reporters try to be first with a story. Another gallery at the Newseum presents photographs that have won Pulitzer Prizes. The display also includes recorded comments from some of the prize-winning photographers. And the Newseum has a gallery to honor journalists who were killed doing their jobs. Glass panels in the Memorial Gallery list more than 1,800 names. An independent group, the Freedom Forum, operates the Newseum. The group spent 100 million dollars to buy the land and 450 million dollars to build the new museum. The Freedom Forum teaches people about the importance of free speech and a free press. On the outside of the Newseum are the words of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

READER: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Inside the Newseum, a huge screen presents political and religious leaders, entertainers and reporters talking about those freedoms. Here is civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior: MARTIN LUTHER KING: "But somewhere I read… of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read… of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read… of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights."Reporters received a media tour of the Newseum before opening day. One reporter called newspapers a dying industry and asked the chief executive officer, Charles Overby, why the Newseum gives them so much attention. The C.E.O. said the Newseum is about news and the changing delivery systems for reporting it. The Newseum has a large gallery dealing with news in the digital age, including blogging and social networking sites. But the Internet, TV and Radio Gallery also presents broadcasts from the past.

One area of the gallery explores "instant news reporting," sometimes called citizen journalism. The display includes comments from Virginia Tech graduate student Jamal Albarghouti. With his cell phone camera, he recorded nearby sounds of gunfire as a student killed 32 people last April 16th. JAMAL ALBARGHOUTI: "I had no idea what the reaction would be when I downloaded this to CNN. I was just hoping no one would get very angry seeing it, and thank God that was the case and many people came to me and telling me thanks a lot. I didn't think I was in a great danger. If I was in such a situation once again, probably I'll do the same thing." Concerns about instant news are also discussed at the Newseum. Here are comments from a newspaper editor at the Roanoke Times in Virginia: EDITOR: "We are trained professional journalists and we are going to be very cautious about what we put online because once it's in the paper you can't take it back.

Ya know bloggers, maybe sometimes they don't realize that, that little thought that just pops into their head, and they post it, and millions of people can see it online, and it can damage somebody's reputation. It can say somebody, ya know, he's the guy, he's the shooter, ah, you can't take that back."The newly opened Newseum in Washington, D.C., charges as much as 20 dollars for admission. Children six and younger are free. The nearby Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art are free to all visitors. But Newseum officials note that those museums are publicly supported. Almost 11,000 people toured the Newseum on opening day when admission was free. The Newseum calls itself the world's most interactive museum. But some people wondered how a pricey museum will succeed, especially in difficult economic times, in a city with so many free attractions. The president of the Newseum, Peter Pritchard, says the hunger for news and information has never been greater around the world. Chief executive Charles Overby says the Freedom Forum believes the Newseum is where it belongs, among monuments to freedom.

During the media tour, he was asked how this museum of news will compete with the Smithsonian museums. "We're not out to harm the Smithsonian," he said. "We just want a bit of people's time."Our program was written by Nancy Steinbach and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Barbara Klein. And I'm Steve Ember. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. Articles about Newseum - latimes Will Ferrell goes to Newseum party, without Ron Burgundy December 4, 2013 | By Amy Hubbard Will Ferrell minus the mustache. We haven't seen much of that guy lately, but at Tuesday's special event for "Anchorman: The Exhibit" at Washington's Newseum, he made a rare appearance as himself. The new exhibit, which opened late last month, displays memorable props from the 2004 "Anchorman" movie -- Ron Burgundy's flaming jazz flute, his burgundy suit, Brian Fantana's Sex Panther cologne, Burgundy's KVWN-TV anchor desk.

But Ferrell, tireless lately in his promotion of the sequel that opens in theaters Dec. 18, dumped the Burgundy guise for the private reception and party Tuesday at the Newseum. Advertisement Newseum given largest donation March 20, 2008 | From the Associated Press A journalism museum set to open next month in Washington has received a $25-million donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Newseum says the grant is its largest donation to date. In return for the gift, the Newseum will name two broadcast studios and a conference center in honor of the Knight brothers. One of the studios will be the home of the ABC program "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." The $450-million Newseum is set to open April 11.

NEWS Washington, D.C.: Newseum out to stay classy with 'Anchorman' exhibit November 14, 2013 | By Mary Forgione, Daily Deal and Travel Blogger Ron Burgundy may be the most famous anchorman who never was, but that's not stopping the Newseum in Washington, D.C., from showcasing the fictional '70s character in "Anchorman: The Exhibit," which opens Thursday. Burgundy's burgundy suit? Check. His flaming jazz flute? Check. His Sex Panther Cologne, yes -- along with a re-creation of the KVWN-TV anchor desk made famous in the 2004 "Anchorman" film and playing a return visit in " Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues . " The sequel, starring Will Ferrell as Burgundy, is to open Dec. 20. What's with such a lighthearted vibe at the Newseum amid exhibits such as the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination and civil rights milestones?

ENTERTAINMENT Newseum gets WTC tower April 11, 2008 | From the Associated Press A mangled and twisted metal tower that once broadcast radio and television signals to New York City from the top of the World Trade Center has a new home at the Newseum, Washington's monument to press freedom and other protections of the First Amendment. The tower is just one striking artifact inside the high-tech journalism museum, which also includes large sections of the Berlin Wall, archival video and newspapers dating back nearly 500 years, and thousands of other objects to wow news junkies. NEWS Washington, D.C.: Newseum out to stay classy with 'Anchorman' exhibit November 14, 2013 | By Mary Forgione, Daily Deal and Travel Blogger Ron Burgundy may be the most famous anchorman who never was, but that's not stopping the Newseum in Washington, D.C., from showcasing the fictional '70s character in "Anchorman: The Exhibit," which opens Thursday. Burgundy's burgundy suit? Check. His flaming jazz flute? Check.

His Sex Panther Cologne, yes -- along with a re-creation of the KVWN-TV anchor desk made famous in the 2004 "Anchorman" film and playing a return visit in " Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues . " The sequel, starring Will Ferrell as Burgundy, is to open Dec. 20. What's with such a lighthearted vibe at the Newseum amid exhibits such as the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination and civil rights milestones? ENTERTAINMENT Quick Takes October 8, 2009 | Associated Press Longtime "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert's office, complete with Buffalo Bills pennants and a journalist's clutter, will go on display next month at the Newseum in Washington. The office will be reassembled to look as it did June 13, 2008, the day Russert died of a heart attack at age 58 while recording voice-overs for his next show at NBC's Washington bureau. The exhibit at the journalism museum opens Nov. 20 and will remain through 2010.

"After Tim's death, it became very clear to us that Tim really hit a nerve with a wider swath of people than you would ordinarily think for a journalist," Charles Overby, the Newseum's chief executive, said Wednesday. BUSINESS News-Fangled Museum Opens April 21, 1997 | KAREN KAPLAN, TIMES STAFF WRITER Fancy museums and egotistical journalists have long been among the more prominent residents of our nation's capital, so perhaps it was inevitable that the twain should meet in the form of--you guessed it--the Newseum, which opened Friday in this Washington suburb. The 2 1/2-year, $50-million effort to launch the Newseum presumes that regular people want to know more about the behind-the-scenes world of the news media. CALIFORNIA | LOCAL E. Coast News Museum Officials Woo L.A. January 15, 1997 Journalism leaders gathered in Century City Tuesday to discuss the opening of the Newseum, a $50-million interactive museum of news--the first of its kind in the country--opening in the Washington, D.C.-area April 18.

Directors of the Freedom Forum, a foundation dedicated to a free press, met at the Century Plaza Hotel to announce the upcoming opening of the museum, which is designed to preserve the history of news. NEWS Biden likens Occupy Wall Street to tea party, blasts BofA October 6, 2011 | By James Oliphant, Washington Bureau Vice President Joe Biden likened the Occupy Wall Street movement to the tea party at a forum in Washington on Thursday, saying both were driven by middle-class frustration with government bailouts of corporate America. “What is the core of that protest, and why is it increasing in terms of the people its attracting? The core is that the bargain has been breached with the American people. The core is that the American people do not think the system is fair or on the level," Biden said at forum sponsored by the Atlantic magazine and the Aspen Institute at the Newseum in Washington.

CALIFORNIA | LOCAL Al Neuharth dies at 89; newspaper mogul created USA Today April 20, 2013 | Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times Al Neuharth, the newspaper mogul who in 1982 made a $1-billion gamble called USA Today that earned derision for its emphasis on brevity, flashy graphics and upbeat stories but endured to become the nation's largest-circulation newspaper, died Friday in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was 89. He died of complications from a recent fall, according to USA Today and the Newseum, the Washington, D.C., news museum he founded. Described by detractors and admirers as brutish, egomaniacal, brilliant and fiercely competitive, Neuharth was a latter-day Citizen Kane, who in the 1970s turned the small Gannett newspaper chain into the nation's most profitable newspaper company. ENTERTAINMENT Obama inauguration viewing package offered by Newseum November 8, 2012 | By David Ng President Obama's second inauguration will be Jan. 21.

The swearing-in ceremony will no doubt be a hot ticket -- though if past inaugurations are any indication, the actual experience will more likely be freezing cold for those observing outdoors. The Newseum in Washington is offering what could be a happy medium -- physical proximity to the actual event but in the warmth of an indoor viewing location. The museum said Wednesday that it is offering an inauguration viewing package for $100 that will include a live feed of the swearing-in ceremony on a big screen and a direct view onto Pennsylvania Avenue as the president makes his way to the White House. NEWS Biden likens Occupy Wall Street to tea party, blasts BofA October 6, 2011 | By James Oliphant, Washington Bureau Vice President Joe Biden likened the Occupy Wall Street movement to the tea party at a forum in Washington on Thursday, saying both were driven by middle-class frustration with government bailouts of corporate America. “What is the core of that protest, and why is it increasing in terms of the people its attracting? The core is that the bargain has been breached with the American people.

The core is that the American people do not think the system is fair or on the level," Biden said at forum sponsored by the Atlantic magazine and the Aspen Institute at the Newseum in Washington. NEWS Great places (besides the Washington Monument) for great views September 28, 2011 | By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger The Washington Monument is the place for unparalleled 360-degree views of the nation's capital. But the only people allowed up these days are inspectors in climbing harnesses who began scaling the 555-foot tower Tuesday to check on damage from the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the area on Aug. 23. Ditto for the National Cathedral, the fourth-tallest structure in the city, which remains closed but usually allows visitors to... ENTERTAINMENT Quick Takes October 8, 2009 | Associated Press Longtime "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert's office, complete with Buffalo Bills pennants and a journalist's clutter, will go on display next month at the Newseum in Washington.

The office will be reassembled to look as it did June 13, 2008, the day Russert died of a heart attack at age 58 while recording voice-overs for his next show at NBC's Washington bureau. The exhibit at the journalism museum opens Nov. 20 and will remain through 2010. "After Tim's death, it became very clear to us that Tim really hit a nerve with a wider swath of people than you would ordinarily think for a journalist," Charles Overby, the Newseum's chief executive, said Wednesday. NATIONAL News is the news at high-tech museum April 12, 2008 | James Hohmann, Times Staff Writer Newspaper revenue is plummeting and television networks are desperately wooing a dwindling audience. For industry veterans, the outlook has never been so bleak. What better time to throw a huge party? A seven-story, $450-million museum paying tribute to the news and those who report and ready it for viewers, listeners and readers opened Friday to great fanfare in a prime location on Pennsylvania Avenue -- midway between the White House and Capitol, not far from the National Mall.

NEWS Great places (besides the Washington Monument) for great views September 28, 2011 | By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger The Washington Monument is the place for unparalleled 360-degree views of the nation's capital. But the only people allowed up these days are inspectors in climbing harnesses who began scaling the 555-foot tower Tuesday to check on damage from the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the area on Aug. 23. Ditto for the National Cathedral, the fourth-tallest structure in the city, which remains closed but usually allows visitors to... CALIFORNIA | LOCAL Al Neuharth dies at 89; newspaper mogul created USA Today April 20, 2013 | Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times Al Neuharth, the newspaper mogul who in 1982 made a $1-billion gamble called USA Today that earned derision for its emphasis on brevity, flashy graphics and upbeat stories but endured to become the nation's largest-circulation newspaper, died Friday in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was 89.

He died of complications from a recent fall, according to USA Today and the Newseum, the Washington, D.C., news museum he founded. Described by detractors and admirers as brutish, egomaniacal, brilliant and fiercely competitive, Neuharth was a latter-day Citizen Kane, who in the 1970s turned the small Gannett newspaper chain into the nation's most profitable newspaper company. Newseum gets WTC tower April 11, 2008 | From the Associated Press A mangled and twisted metal tower that once broadcast radio and television signals to New York City from the top of the World Trade Center has a new home at the Newseum, Washington's monument to press freedom and other protections of the First Amendment. The tower is just one striking artifact inside the high-tech journalism museum, which also includes large sections of the Berlin Wall, archival video and newspapers dating back nearly 500 years, and thousands of other objects to wow news junkies.

ENTERTAINMENT Newseum given largest donation March 20, 2008 | From the Associated Press A journalism museum set to open next month in Washington has received a $25-million donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Newseum says the grant is its largest donation to date. In return for the gift, the Newseum will name two broadcast studios and a conference center in honor of the Knight brothers. One of the studios will be the home of the ABC program "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." The $450-million Newseum is set to open April 11. News and Reviews of the Newseum | ePluribus Media Home » Blogs » standingup's blog » News and Reviews of the Newseum News and Reviews of the Newseum Posted on: 20 April 2008 By: standingup Pennsylvania Avenue has a new attraction.

The doors opened to the public April 11 for the grand opening of the Newseum described on its own website as: a 250,000-square-foot museum of news — offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. The Newseum is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., on America’s Main Street between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. The exterior’s unique architectural features include a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment and an immense front wall of glass through which passers-by can watch the museum fulfill its mission of providing a forum where the media and the public can gain a better understanding of each other. Those watching ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos this morning might have noticed the show was broadcast from a studio in the Newseum. Media Bistro's TVNewser has photos. The Associated Press covers the opening in what could almost have been a press release quoting heavily from Newseum Chief Executive Charles Overby.

They begin by calling it "Washington's monument to press freedom and other protections of the First Amendment." "We think (people) come here to see their democracy in action," Newseum Chief Executive Charles Overby said. "And we believe that the press belongs in that pilgrimage — that the press has a central place in our country's democracy." The noble mission to educate (and entertain) visitors about the free press isn't free, however. The museum, with a $20 admission fee for adults, is among the most expensive attractions in Washington, where 20 million annual visitors have become accustomed to free admission at the nearby Smithsonian Institution museums. The popular International Spy Museum in downtown Washington charges $18 for adults; only Madame Tussauds wax museum charges a higher fee at $21.15 for adults.

(the one point approaching a criticism in the article David Montgomery of the Washington Post covers a different angle of the opening in the Arts & Living section with this catchy title, " Newseum, a Developing Story ." How fitting that one of the finishing touches in the bust-to-boom east end of downtown -- the $450 million Newseum, opening today -- should pack onto the same block not just a museum but also a trendy restaurant and luxury apartments. That trinity of forces -- culture (entertainment), consumption (shopping, eating) and living (street life after business hours) -- is the essence of urban success. And over the past 20 years, on block after formerly forlorn block, theaters, museums, galleries, condos, apartments, a sports arena, bars, restaurants and boutiques have transformed what is known as the Penn Quarter neighborhood. Now the Newseum complex on Pennsylvania Avenue at Sixth Street NW, including the Newseum Residences and the Source restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, stands as a summary statement of all that has succeeded in the neighborhood. Montgomery's article can be complimented with a visit to the separate website for the Newseum Residences .

Marc Fisher offers one of the most positive reviews after he attended the gala grand opening. Still, as much as I felt torn at Friday night's bash between the coolness of the Newseum exhibits and the sickening feeling that this could end up becoming a museum of a lost craft, I also left the building far more inspired and moved than I had expected to be. What did it for me? Three things: An extraordinary video narrated by the reporters and photographers who covered the first minutes of the 9/11 story at the World Trade Center, a deep well of TV reporting from throughout the past half century, and a series of objects that tell the story of reporters who gave their lives to get the story. [worth the click to read the rest] What's the Point of the Newseum? What's the Point of the Newseum? Tweet Share Last weekend I made my first trip to the Newseum , a shiny new museum dedicated to—-well, I'm still trying to figure that out. On its second floor there's an interactive exhibit in which you can play reporter by responding to battery of ethical questions. This'll be easy, I figured, knowing that the game was designed for kids.

I can totally kick the asses of a bunch of five-year-olds at Tee Ball, so I was sure I could clean up at a journalism ethics game designed for high schoolers. Bring it, Newseum! Question number one: During her graduation speech, the valedictorian utters a mild expletive. Do you report it? Well, what was the context? Did she flub a line and say, "Oh, crap"? Then, no. Did she poke fun at the "crap-ass dean"? Maybe. Was she the head of the Cussing Reduction in America Party? Sure, report it. There's no "maybe" button at the Newseum; ethical questions demand absolute answers. I click "yes." No, the Newseum tells me. The swearing is irrelevant. I mention the ethics game not because I question the judgment of its programmers. (Much.) I bring it up because it's one of the few exhibits there that's about the process of reporting and publishing the news.

I am mindful of the fact that "the process of reporting the news" is not the kind of mission statement that gets busloads of kids and tourists pounding on your door; the place cost $450 million to build , and with a $20 admission fee you've got to give the folks some sizzle. And there's a lot of that: Last Saturday I saw the Unabomber's cabin, pieces of the torn-down Berlin Wall, a portion of an antenna from the World Trade Center. All of which would be excellent to showcase in Smithsonian Museum of Stuff Related to World Events of the Last 30 Years. What does it have to do with "news," exactly? When the Newseum opened in April, the museum's board chairman, Alberto Ibargüen, told USA Today that it was intended to be " a non-scolding, non-castor-oil, fun and interactive conversation about our five basic rights (in the First Amendment) ." Nonsense. If the Newseum cared about the five freedoms—- need a refresher? —-it would have a whole lot more about religion than it currently has. Which is to say, some.

A Museum of Religious Freedom in America would be a truly wonderful thing to see, but the Newseum is largely about putting journalistic artifacts in formaldehyde. I live for this stuff, so I was thrilled to take a peek at a copy of the issue of Harper's that had Seymour Hersh's My Lai story, a copy of the Berkeley Barb (as at least one person has pointed out, one of the few examples of the alternative press on display), and televised footage of Chicago cops busting heads at the '68 Democratic Convention. What's missing is any thorough explanation of how those stories got told, and why the telling matters. The Unabomber's cabin is currently on display, but there's not much about the debate over publishing his manifesto. A tick-tock of news coverage of 9/11, surrounding the wrecked antenna, is a nice touch, but hardly seems to get at the herculean effort of reporting that day.

It's certainly eye-catching to see the exploded car of Don Bolles, an Arizona Republic reporter who was killed by the blast in 1976; if only there were more than a brief mention of the reporting on the mafia that made him a target, and of the collective of reporters who continued his work as the Arizona Project . I don't know why I need to see Daniel Pearl's laptop, or what I might learn from looking at it for a while. I'm glad that visitors to the Newseum learn that doing journalism often involves being in harm's way; it's a good thing to know. But if a lot of people don't trust the news they're receiving—-maybe the most important role the Newseum could play is telling people what's involved in making a story. Nobody at the Newseum wanted to film a story meeting at New York Times? The Prince George's Sentinel? Washington City Paper? There's no visually engaging, interactive way to describe how a story gets published, from conception to reporting to editing to publication, in print and online? There's a brief film about bias that screens repeatedly, but nothing I saw on any of the floors tells a 16-year-old how to identify it.

What I know about making entertaining, engaging, and informative museum displays couldn't fill a thimble, but none of this strikes me as beyond the capabilities of a bright person in the business. And if the media want to make a case for ourselves in a building that cost almost half a billion dollars to construct, it seems disingenuous not to try harder. CBS News, Cronkite School to remember Walter Cronkite at centennial celebration at Newseum | ASU Now: Access, Excellence, Impact ASU Now: Access, Excellence, Impact CBS News, Cronkite School to remember Walter Cronkite at centennial celebration at Newseum July 6, 2016 To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Walter Cronkite, a large-scale public celebration featuring some of the nation’s top journalists will be held this fall at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Newseum, CBS News and Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Cronkite Century Celebration will honor the late “CBS Evening News” anchor and his impact on journalism past, present and future with a series of high-profile events on Sept. 29.

ASU's Cronkite School and CBS News is hosting a celebration at the Newseum in September to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the late Walter Cronkite's birth. Download Full Image The day’s events will be followed by an evening panel of noted journalists, featuring “CBS Evening News” anchor Scott Pelley; CBS News contributor Bob Schieffer; “PBS NewsHour” anchor Gwen Ifill and more. They will lead a discussion on Cronkite’s influence and the future of news in the Newseum’s Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater. Moderating the panel will be Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of the Washington Post, who now serves as the Cronkite School’s Weil Family Professor of Journalism. Pelley also will anchor the “CBS Evening News” (6:30-7 p.m. EDT) live from Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29. “All news media have been transformed since Walter Cronkite left us—but his enduring values remain so important to all of us at CBS News,” said David Rhodes, president of CBS News.

“Cronkite’s birthday is the perfect opportunity to reflect on what’s changed—and what hasn’t.” In addition to the evening panel, the Cronkite Century Celebration will feature a talk earlier that day with noted historian Douglas Brinkley, the author of the acclaimed biography “Cronkite,” as well as a panel discussion with Cronkite School alumni who have graduated in the past five years. The alumni panelists will explore the anchor’s legacy and influence in a time of digital innovations in news. Panelists will include NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard, Washington Post digital editor Tessa Muggeridge, Congressional Quarterly/Roll Call staff writer Elvina Nawaguna, Washington Post sports reporter Master Tesfatsion and Reuters cyber and surveillance policy reporter Dustin Volz. Eric Newton, the school’s innovation chief and former longtime Knight Foundation executive who previously served as the founding managing editor of the Newseum, will moderate the discussion. Additionally, Don Carleton, executive director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, which is home of the Cronkite Papers, will talk about his book “Conversations with Cronkite” in an afternoon program.

Throughout the day, the Newseum will showcase video clips and documentaries about Cronkite in its various theaters and will present gallery talks highlighting its collection of artifacts related to the anchor. “Whether it’s the report of President Kennedy’s assassination or man’s first steps on the moon, Cronkite’s legacy transcends the generations of visitors who come to the Newseum,” said Jeffrey Herbst, president and CEO of the Newseum. “We’re honored to join these esteemed journalists and institutions in celebrating his lasting contribution to the record of our shared history.” The September Cronkite Century Celebration at the Newseum is just one of several events honoring Cronkite, who was born on Nov. 4, 1916. The Cronkite School will award Pelley the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism at a ceremony Nov. 21 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix hotel near the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. The prestigious honor is presented to a leading figure in journalism who embodies the spirit and values of the legendary CBS News anchor. The school also will launch a 100-day social media campaign leading up to Cronkite’s birthday, which will celebrate his legacy.

Cronkite, known as “the most trusted man in America,” was anchor of “CBS Evening News” for nearly 20 years, from 1962-1981. Cronkite shepherded the nation through President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Vietnam War, the walk on the moon and the Iranian hostage crisis. Known for his famous sign-off, “and that’s the way it is,” Cronkite won numerous honors and the admiration of a country for his reporting. In 1984, ASU named its journalism program in honor of Cronkite, who was closely involved with the school until his death in 2009. Cronkite regularly advised leadership and visited with students and faculty. He also presented the Cronkite Award for Excellence to one of the nation’s top journalists. “Walter Cronkite’s legacy is cemented through his coverage of some of the most iconic events in American history and his commitment to educating future journalists in the time-honored values of accuracy, responsibility, objectivity and integrity,” Cronkite School Dean Christopher Callahan said.

“We are excited to celebrate the life of our school’s namesake at this extraordinary event in Washington with our friends at CBS News and the Newseum.” Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Newseum is dedicated to free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. The Newseum is on Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House, and more than 6 million people have visited the museum and its interactive exhibits and theaters since 2008. More details on the Cronkite Century Celebration, including a schedule and ticket information, will be shared in the coming weeks on the Newseum and Cronkite School websites. ASU students partner with city to create a plan for quality growth July 6, 2016 Apache Junction is a city of about 38,000 residents with a natural setting that rivals any in the state for scenic views and outdoor opportunities. Twenty-five years from now, its population is projected to be nearly double the current total. “It’s not a question of whether the city will grow, it’s a question of how,” Giao Pham, the city’s public works director, said.

Students working on improving a trail system for walking, biking and horseback riding listen to perspectives of an Apache Junction resident. Photo by Pai Li Download Full Image After a semester’s work by 21 Arizona State University graduate students, the city has a new outline to guide its development, grounded in residents’ perspectives and thorough research. The students were enrolled in this spring’s capstone course for ASU’s master’s program in urban and environmental planning ( MUEP ), taught by professor Joochul Kim. The program is within the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. The project, which began as a collaboration with the city’s Public Works and Development Services departments, grew to include the Parks & Recreation and Economic & Business Development departments, as well. Following an April 26 presentation to the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission and Parks & Recreation Board, Apache Junction’s City Council approved a resolution to adopt the students’ report for consideration for the city’s future planning purposes. “We’re very appreciative of what the students did. The capstone is a great opportunity for students, but also a great opportunity for the community. The students’ work will really make a difference,” said Larry Kirch, city of Apache Junction development services director.

The project’s scope The partnership began in summer 2015, when Bailey DuBois, a student in the urban and environmental planning master’s program, approached the city to ask whether it might consider being the site for the program’s capstone workshop course. Larry Kirch, the city's development services director, and Pham responded enthusiastically, and discussions began. In January 2016, Kim introduced the students in his capstone course to their assignment: After learning about Apache Junction — from city representatives, planning documents, demographic and economic research, and importantly, by exploring the city in person — they would envision a future for Apache Junction. The students were to develop an overall community vision for: The downtown area along Idaho Road and the Apache Trail The largely undeveloped state-owned area south of U.S. 60 Trails to connect the city — usable by pedestrians, equestrians and bicycles The students formed themselves into three teams, each focusing on one of the three challenges. Dubois and classmate Melissa Spriegel volunteered for the role of facilitators: serving as the point of contact for city officials, collecting weekly reports from each team, scheduling presentations either within the class or with city officials and residents, and coordinating creation of a final report.

To be sure their ideas were in line with Apache Junction residents, the students organized two community meetings. Creating a town center “We want a town center,” the downtown group heard. At the first community meeting, the group worked to understand where residents currently identify the center of downtown to be, what the residents would like to see develop, and what qualities and amenities were essential to the city’s identity. Participants at the first community meeting identified what location they perceived as the city’s downtown (red dots), the places they go regularly (pink arrows) and their ideas for amenities they’d like to see (blue arrows). With information from the first meeting in hand, the students studied the city’s existing planning documents and successes in comparable towns. They developed proposals and sketches and presented them at a second community meeting — then revised the plans again to develop their final proposals. “We wanted to be positive that we were representing the desires of the community,” said Morgan Klaas, leader of the first downtown visioning group. From the city’s perspective, the students’ work is helping to maintain momentum for development. “The students’ work reinforced the city’s efforts to develop a sense of place for the downtown,” Kirch said.

This proposal represents two versions of a relatively simple-to-develop public event space that could help define Apache Junction’s downtown. Images by Carol Hu Undeveloped state land: Economic development and natural preservation The half-mile strip between U.S. 60 and Baseline Road currently hosts a golf course and smattering of mostly residential developments. South of Baseline, the city boundaries encompass about 12 square miles of primarily open desert, with only one existing north-south road. The state land group needed to consider how to create economic opportunities for this area, while preserving the its natural wealth — especially its washes and views of the Superstition Mountains. The students proposed a network of roads that would allow access to the area, but they adjusted the east-west grid to keep washes in their natural state as much as possible. Map by Bryan Smith Led by Bryan Smith and Spencer Bolin, the group analyzed potential business opportunities for the area from U.S. 60 to Baseline Road, envisioning a strip south of Baseline as a walkable main street promoting local businesses. The team also focused on a 4-square-mile area of undeveloped land, the “planned unit development” or PUD.

Here, the students’ proposals respected an overwhelming opinion they heard from the city’s residents: Develop the land, but keep the washes as natural as possible. “I really appreciate how the community acknowledges the changes going on around them, and that they want to continue to adapt. They want to take advantage of what’s around them,” Smith said. The students devised a plan for adding trails along the washes wherever possible and preserving views of the mountains by limiting the density and height of nearby structures. Higher-density residential development would be clustered in areas away from the washes. Map by Bryan Smith Multimodal trails: Connecting the city Apache Junction’s proximity to outdoor recreation is what attracted many of its residents — so improving options for walking, bicycling or horseback riding seemed like a logical priority. The students developed a survey to assess how Apache Junction residents use existing trails and what factors currently discourage trail and bike use. A survey of residents, along with a community meeting, revealed that the most popular use of current trails is hiking and that safety is the most significant discouraging factor.

The student team used this information — together with multiple driving and walking visits of the city, study of existing planning documents, and analysis of speed limits and driving densities on the city’s main thoroughfares — to propose locations for new bicycle lanes, sidewalks and trails that would connect the city. They also suggested design standards and guidelines for creating safer bike lanes. The second community meeting provided an opportunity for feedback on the proposals. The students proposed several design strategies to improve bicycling safety, such as raised bike lanes and buffered bike lanes. Impact of the project “The students’ work is like the table of contents for a book,” Pham said. “The city has a story to tell, and the students created the outline.” “The students’ energy, enthusiasm and openness to ideas reinforces our passion for developing the city,” he added. For their part, the students appreciate the opportunity. “We got to network with the city so much — we’re very comfortable now with working this way,” Spriegel said. Many of the students graduated this spring, and so were applying for jobs while working on the capstone. What next for the new graduates? Several are beginning professional planning positions — DuBois in Virginia, Spriegel in Texas, Smith with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

Others are carrying out summer or longer-term internships. “In job interviews, for every question that was asked, an experience from the capstone course was the answer,” DuBois said. Massive Newseum opens window on journalism - USATODAY.com Massive Newseum opens window on journalism Updated E-mail | Print | By Maria Puente, USA TODAY WASHINGTON, D.C.  The Newseum, the giant, costly new temple that celebrates newsgathering, is reopening here near the National Mall with unmistakably grander ambitions than mere entertainment. It starts with the 74-foot-high Tennessee marble tablet on the front facade etched with the words of the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Inside, the message is unmistakable, too: From every frenetic corner, the Newseum fairly shouts, "News is necessary to a functioning democracy.

News is fun, news is cool, news matters." The goal, says Newseum board chairman Alberto Ibargüen, is to spark "a non-scolding, non-castor-oil, fun and interactive conversation about our five basic rights (in the First Amendment). This is an opportunity for incredibly effective teaching." INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: Take a virtual tour of the Newseum Six years after the original, smaller Newseum across the Potomac River in Arlington, Va., closed, the new Newseum opens April 11 in a $450 million, 643,000-square-foot series of translucent rectangular boxes (including attached office and apartment complex) on Pennsylvania Avenue across the street from the august National Gallery of Art and a few blocks from the Capitol. "We've taken the success of the first Newseum and made it bigger and better," says deputy director Susan Bennett. The exhibit space alone is 250,000 square feet (triple the original), and it's so high-tech and interactive, "it's a different museum every day." So, prepare for razzle-dazzle. Prepare for up-to-the-minute museum design.

Also, prepare to pay $20 — a little less than the $21.15 to get into Madame Tussauds wax museum here and a little more than the $18 for the International Spy Museum nearby, but way more than the free museums of the government-funded Smithsonian. On the other hand, it's probably worth it; after all, a decent ticket to a Nationals baseball game costs $20. The Newseum opens just as traditional media organizations are trying to cope with journalism scandals, struggling newspapers, spreading layoffs, falling advertising revenue and a dramatically altered business model. So much to do on deadline Not that you'll see or hear anything about that during a visit to this, one of the most expensive museum projects in decades. There's too much else going on in seven levels and 14 galleries. (One gallery traces thousands of years of news-gathering, including recent and antique plagiarism and fraud scandals.) There are 15 theaters, two television studios (ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos will begin broadcasting every Sunday from one), and a master control center to explore.

There are thousands of newspapers to peruse, hundreds of daily front pages to skim, hundreds of hours of news broadcasts to watch and thousands of Pulitzer Prize-winning photos to examine. There are more than 6,000 news artifacts, ranging from 3,200-year-old cuneiform tablets, the pencil of the reporter killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn, and the bullet-riddled truck used by Time reporters and photographers during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. See the wall-size map comparing press freedom around the world. Crane your neck at giant pieces of the Berlin Wall and a 40-foot guard tower, the twisted, elegiac remains of the broadcast antenna from the World Trade Center, and the TV news helicopter and communications satellite "hovering" in the 90-foot lobby atrium. Pop into one of 48 interactive computer kiosks to immerse yourself in a news experience, as a reporter or photographer. "This may be the most interactive museum ever, although I can't prove it," says Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums. "I have a 15-year-old, and I cannot get him to go to any museums that aren't interactive.

That's just what they're used to." And who doesn't want to be on TV? Expect to see scores of little (and not so little) Katie Couric- and Brian Williams-wannabes line up at the eight "Be a TV Reporter" stations, where they can choose a Washington backdrop, step in front of the camera and read from the teleprompter — and take home a copy of their TV news debut. So maybe the future of the news biz is a little murky, the Newseum acknowledges. Maybe the methods of delivering fast-breaking information and the deliverers are changing (via blogs and social communities, for instance), but news itself is a constant. "The future of the Fourth Estate, like the first draft of history, remains to be written," says a panel in the news-history gallery. "This is not about trying to bring back your grandfather's newspaper but about engaging visitors about why news matters," says Ibargüen, who's also president and CEO of the Knight Foundation, a founding supporter of the museum. It just gave the museum its largest single donation, $25 million.

This is necessary because, nearly 217 years since the Bill of Rights, many Americans are either fuzzy on the meaning of the First Amendment or don't have a clue. "More people know who Homer Simpson is than can name the five freedoms," Bennett says. "We hope we're building a new generation of media consumers — better-informed media consumers. The young people who get all their news from the Internet, we want to introduce them to the rich history of communication, to help them understand that communication is universal, even if the methods are ever changing." This is an era, after all, when more Americans are falling out of the habit of reading a daily newspaper or a weekly news magazine, or even watching old-school shows such as 60 Minutes; instead they turn to the Internet, to YouTube videos or to comedy shows such as The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Young people especially have a confused idea of the meaning of the First Amendment, Ibargüen says. In annual surveys about high school attitudes toward free press and free speech, he says, many students say they believe there is a role for government in censoring the news — but not in censoring music lyrics.

"That's the beginning of the conversation: to ask, 'What does free speech and free press mean to you?' " Ibargüen says. Judging from the number of people who have visited during previews, and the advance bookings (a total of 51,000 group visitors are expected by the end of April), the Newseum is showing success as a destination in the museum-rich national capital. Wolfgang Puck's three-level restaurant inside, The Source, has an Asian menu and a wine wall of 2,000 bottles, and it has been packed during previews. (The museum also has a food court.) The two-level museum store has media-related products not found elsewhere, such as framed prints of famous news photos. There's a 24,000-square-foot conference center, and groups are lining up to book it or the museum itself for after-hours parties. The glass elevators in the atrium are so large, they're used as mobile mini-bars. A museum-owned 10-floor residential building with 135 luxury apartments on the north side has already leased half the units, despite rents starting at $1,720.

The Newseum, developed and funded by the independent and non-partisan Freedom Forum, has a number of ties to USA TODAY, including a common founder, Al Neuharth. Newseum president Peter Prichard, Newseum executive director Joe Urschel, USA TODAY editor Ken Paulson and a number of Newseum executives have worked for both organizations. Not everyone loves the look The museum interior was designed by the acclaimed firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, which also designed the Holocaust Memorial Museum, among many others. Early reviews of the architecture, by Polshek Partnership Architects, have been mixed. Architecture is a big deal in a capital clotted with monuments, memorials, museums and grand public buildings. The most acid reaction came from Jack Shafer, press critic for the online magazine Slate, owned by The Washington Post. The Newseum is "a gilded disaster," he wrote in a column last month titled "Down With the Newseum!" "How this (museum) advances the craft of journalism, I have no idea," he says — better that $450 million had been used to endow a newspaper. "There's never been a larger appetite for news," he says.

"What we're seeing is that the way people consume news is changing. It's not a dying business, it's just certain vehicles are dying or are stressed." On this, he and the Newseum agree. Posted Newseum (Washington DC): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor Description: Find out for yourself why everyone is calling the Newseum the best... Find out for yourself why everyone is calling the Newseum the best experience Washington, D.C. has to offer. Each of the seven levels in this magnificent building is packed with interactive exhibits that explore free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Whether you have just a few hours or want to spend all day, you'll find something for everyone in the family in the Newseum's 15 theaters and 15 galleries. read more

Question: In which city did the Newseum museum of news and journalism re-open in April 2008?
Answer: Washington DC