Newseum Adds 21 Journalists to Journalists Memorial on June 3

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, June 3, 2019, at 10 a.m., the Newseum will rededicate its Journalists Memorial, a two-story glass memorial that recognizes the reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters who lost their lives reporting the news.

This year, the names of 21 journalists will be etched onto the memorial's glass panels to represent all those who died or were killed in pursuit of the news in 2018. The selected journalists will be added to the 2,323 professionals currently recognized on the memorial, which includes journalists dating back to 1837. The memorial is rededicated annually to illustrate the ongoing dangers faced by journalists around the world. Capital Gazette Editor Rick Hutzell and Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of The Washington Post, will deliver remarks during the ceremony.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2018, 11 journalists died in combat while 34 journalists were murdered. A total of 54 journalists across the globe were killed on the job last year. Of those 54 journalists, four were from the United States — Capital Gazette staffers Gerald Fischman, John McNamara, Rob Hiaasen and Wendi Winters, who died on June 28, 2018, during a tragic shooting. In addition, two reporters for WYFF 4, based in Greenville, S.C., were killed when a tree hit their SUV while they were covering tropical storm Alberto. The 21 journalists honored next month were killed in 9 separate incidents.

"The memorial and this annual rededication event remind us all every day that the world is an increasingly dangerous place for those who gather and report the news – whether that is from the inherent dangers of reporting from the battlefield or the storm front, or from being targeted by criminals, terrorists or repressive governments," said Gene Policinski, president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute.

Also on June 3, no newspapers will be displayed in the Today's Front Pages exhibit outside the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, inside the Newseum or online. In their place will be blacked-out pages featuring the hashtag #WithoutNews. This annual #WithoutNews campaign encourages the public to consider what a world without journalists to report the news would look like. Join the campaign by updating your profile picture.

The journalists who will be memorialized at this year's rededication include:

ABOUT THE NEWSEUM
The mission of the Newseum, located in Washington, D.C., is to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. Visitors experience the story of news, the role of a free press in major events in history, and how the core freedoms of the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — apply to their lives. Considered one of the most interactive museums in the world, the Newseum has seven levels with 15 galleries and 15 theaters. The Newseum also reaches millions of students through its robust offering of on-site classes and workshops. The Newseum is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by generous individuals, corporations and foundations, including its principal funder, the Freedom Forum. For more information, visit newseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT THE FREEDOM FORUM INSTITUTE
The Freedom Forum Institute is the education and outreach partner of the Freedom Forum and the Newseum. The Institute includes the First Amendment Center, the Religious Freedom Center, the Newseum's education department and diversity and inclusion programs. The Freedom Forum Institute's affiliate organizations include the Al Neuharth Media Center at the University of South Dakota,; the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi; and the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University. The Freedom Forum Institute is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by generous individuals, corporations and foundations, including its principal funder, the Freedom Forum.

SOURCE Newseum