Reactions from the Newseum
I visited the Newseum (museum of news in Washington, DC) this morning, four days after its inaugural opening. I was impressed, educated, and intrigued, and am in the midst of rearranging my day’s schedule so I can return for more.
This innovative museum tells the story of American history through a far more approachable medium than the typical museum exhibit: through the front pages of newspapers, television snippets, and even internal emails from the New York Times to its reporters on the morning of September 11th. It also tells of the important role of the media in our country, and in a democracy.
The first exhibit I approached was a collection of every Pulitzer Prize winning photograph since that prize was first awarded in the 1950s. It’s a stunning visual walk through history, from Vietnam and civil rights to Oklahoma City and Kosovo. It reminded me of the power of a photograph to deeply impact emotion: seeing a photo of the World Trade Center still shakes me to the core; an image of white students using an american flag pole to beat a black man fills me with disgust.
The exhibit made me ponder that career path I never really considered seriously, yet briefly pursued: photojournalism. The museum pays their tribute as well as that of their pen-wielding compatriots.
A video on the Sedition Acts, President Adams, and the creation of the freedom of the press made me consider the act of history repeating that occured in our own generation with the passage of the Patriot Act. It told the story of a part of our history I never knew, or at least never appreciated.
If you get a chance to stop through DC, I strongly suggest passing through the Newseum. My next visit will likely be a matter of hours away.
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- Welcome to The Intrepid Mr. Fox
Welcome to the personal weblog of Mitchell W. Fox, a management strategy consultant in Sydney, Australia.The Intrepid Mr. Fox is about my personal life and adventures. It focuses on three main topics: The Good Life (things I enjoy in my leisure time), Travel, and my thoughts and ideas about the world around us.