 Because it's right on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Newseum, the national museum of journalism history, was the perfect place for reporters to set up shop during the parade. About 11 different news outlets had broadasting crews on hand throughout the day, including Chris Mathews of MSNBC, and reporters and camera crews from ABC, CNN, and many local news stations. They set up their cameras on the Newseum's outdoor terrace, which overlooks the parade route. Meanwhile, inside, we were among hundreds of visitors pressed up against the windowed walls of the building's second and third floors, hoping for some glimpses of the president and first lady as they passed by. Barack and Michelle Obama didn't emerge from their limo until they were well past the Newseum. They got out and walked a couple of different times, mainly when they were passing by federal buildings where security was tightest and there were fewer side streets leading down to the parade route. We were able to track their progress on the Newseum's jumbotron, suspended from the ceiling of the third floor. Then we turned back to the parade still passing by our windows.  |  The president's limo passed by the windows of the Newseum, as onlookers cheered.  Bands from all over the country marched in the Inauguration parade up Pennsylvania Avenue Monday afternoon.  |
The history of journalism, all stored in a wonderful place
The road to the White House is well-documented at the Newseum. Once the parade had passed, we got a chance to explore the Newseum, a wonderful repository of all things journalistic. On six floors, the Newseum pays tribute to the people and the moments that have become a part of our national experience, thanks to journalists.
The latest exhibit is a retrospective on how political campaigns have evolved because of changes in the way they are reported. You can see for yourself how much of an effect Richard Nixon's poor showing on national television had on his campaign in 1960 against the much-more-photogenic John F. Kennedy. The exhibit also has some quirky artifacts, such as the suit Katie Couric wore when she interviewed Sarah Palin in 2008, and the satirical and controversial illustration on the cover of the New Yorker Magazine that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama dressed like terrorists, fist-bumping each other.
The courage of journalists is on display everywhere as well. A whole room is devoted to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty, from Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and beheaded by terrorists in Pakistan, to photojournalists Bob Biggart, who died while taking pictures of rescue workers and first responders when the second twin tower collapsed on 9/11.
The wing that houses all the Pulitzer Prize winning photos since the award began is especially moving. Many show heartbreak, tragedy, pain, and violence, but many others show emotional intensity, the triumph of the human spirit, and moments of sheer joy.
A trip to the Newseum should be on anyone's list who travels to Washington. It tells the story of our country and shows how we have evolved as a culture and what things are most important to us.
The latest exhibit is a retrospective on how political campaigns have evolved because of changes in the way they are reported. You can see for yourself how much of an effect Richard Nixon's poor showing on national television had on his campaign in 1960 against the much-more-photogenic John F. Kennedy. The exhibit also has some quirky artifacts, such as the suit Katie Couric wore when she interviewed Sarah Palin in 2008, and the satirical and controversial illustration on the cover of the New Yorker Magazine that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama dressed like terrorists, fist-bumping each other.
The courage of journalists is on display everywhere as well. A whole room is devoted to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty, from Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and beheaded by terrorists in Pakistan, to photojournalists Bob Biggart, who died while taking pictures of rescue workers and first responders when the second twin tower collapsed on 9/11.
The wing that houses all the Pulitzer Prize winning photos since the award began is especially moving. Many show heartbreak, tragedy, pain, and violence, but many others show emotional intensity, the triumph of the human spirit, and moments of sheer joy.
A trip to the Newseum should be on anyone's list who travels to Washington. It tells the story of our country and shows how we have evolved as a culture and what things are most important to us.
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