Newseum Dedication Ceremony honors news, journalists, and the First Amendment

The Newseum, a museum of news and journalism, held its Dedication Ceremony today. Charles Overby, chief executive officer of the Newseum, said over 8,000 people visited today for the Grand Opening, which was free for visitors. The 250,000-square-foot museum features a front wall of glass and a 74-foot high marble engraving of the First Amendment. The importance of the First Amendment was touched on by many of the guest speakers at the ceremony, referred to as the “cornerstone of democracy” by Overby.

Stephen Colbert from the Colbert Report created an opening video for the ceremony, where he suggested a name change to “Newsoleum,” since he said museums were only for things that no one uses anymore. Overby commented on Colbert’s video at the end by saying “it’s a little scary that’s where people are getting their news from.”

The Newseum is comprised of 14 exhibition galleries, exploring news history, technology, world news, and how the media covered major events. Alberto Ibarguen, the chairman of the Newseum, discussed a feature where visitors can record their own news reports based on a set of facts, and then classmates can compare and contrast their different reports and points of views. He said this was unlike most other museums, because talking is encouraged, and visitors are to make up their own mind on the facts, opinions, and alternatives provided in the Newseum.

Arthur Sulzberger, chairman of the New York Times, said though the Times was not too kind to this building, he admired the dedication it shows to the honor and the courage of journalists. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also commented on the Journalists Memorial, which she said pays tribute to the journalists who “lost their lives so we can find truth.”