Inspirations from the Newseum.

I had a marvelous time on our class trip to the Newseum last Tuesday. I could have spent another couple days there before running out of things to see. I was like a kid in a candy store--not to be cliche--but it's true!

Here's some things I wrote on my notepad that particularly inspired or interested me:

Vanessa Leggett was a freelance journalist, writing a non-fiction novel about a murder. Because she withheld anonymously provided information from the grand jury, she served 18 months in prison. How protected are journalists in using anonymous sources involving a crime?

Terminology:

"On the record" means the information can be used freely in the article, names included.

"Off the record" means means the information cannot be publicized at all.

"Deep background" means the information is used to help inform the journalist and give him a better understanding of the subject, but cannot be actually used in the article.

"On background" means that the information can be generalized and attributed in broad terms, but not directly.

"Not for attribution" means the journalist can use direct quotes, but must attribute them in more general terms, like the person's title or place in the story rather than using the person's name.

Nellie Bly was a pioneer reporter for women. This girl was a total champ! She went undercover as a patient in an insane asylum to write an exposé of the injustices happening there.

The O.J. Simpson trial got more airtime from 1987-1997 than any other event besides the Gulf War. This was interesting because it brought up issues of cameras being used in the court room. The lawyers in the trial were known over-act for the camera, which turned it into a media sensation.

Mark Twain was a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise, but got fired for making up stories! He considered journalism a form of torture for writers because it forced them to write the truth thus suppressing their imagination. Twain was such a quirky guy.

Ernest Hemingway, Stephen Crane, Winston Churchill, and Jack London were all war reporters at one time.

Don Bolles was critically injured in a car bombing because of a story he was writing on gangs. His obliterated car was at the museum. After he eventually died, his colleagues continued the story in his stead, showing that you can kill the journalist, but you can never kill the story.

Other highlights:

*The 9/11 memorial, consisting of the attena that was atop one of the towers, and a wall with newspapers from all over the world with a front page about the attacks. I watched the documentary about journalists that were covering the attacks as they happened. Though it was dangerous and horrifying to watch, they were so caught up in the moment that they had to stay and report on the story. Even after being urged by police and firefighters to leave, they felt as though it was their duty to show the public what was happening. If they didn't, who would?

*Journalist memorial--so many journalists, especially in more dangerous countries, are killed for their work. It was inspiring to see them memorialized and recognized for their dedication and ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the truth.

*The Berlin Wall--Yes, I got to touch a real chunk of the Berlin Wall, and that felt pretty cool. =)

*The Pulitzer Prize winning photo gallery. I'm not into photography at all, but I was so inspired by the ability of journalists to capture some photos that were really hard to look at, let alone be there to experience. I cried like a baby.

The Newseum was awesome! Everyone, go if you've never been!