Libs Owned Again: D.C. Journalism Museum to Close Amid Financial Difficulties
Democracy dies from lack of funding
The Newseum, a self-congratulatory monument to the media located in our nation's capital, will close at the end of the year amid longstanding financial difficulties, proving once again that President Donald J. Trump cannot stop winning and will never stop owning the libs.
The organization said it "has struggled financially for a number of years and continuing to operate in our current location has proven unsustainable" in a statement released Wednesday. The Newseum is reportedly looking for a new location, but has yet to find one after selling its downtown D.C. property to Johns Hopkins University for $372 million in January.
The colossal shrine to corporations and their employees was constructed on prime real estate on Pennsylvania Avenue, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. It was funded by a group of media companies, primarily the Gannett newspaper chain, to the tune of $572 million. On a somewhat related note, hundreds of Gannett employees lost their jobs in 2019 in a round of brutal cutbacks.
Many aspects of the Newseum made it unique. Unlike most D.C. museums, it charged for admission—$24.95 for adults. A paywall, so to speak. It was the first museum of its kind: By the journalists, for the journalists, and of the journalists.
"Our terrific country offers lots of ways to make a living, but with the possible exceptions of movie acting and architecture, only modern journalism would have the nerve to celebrate itself with something as gaudy and improbable as the Newseum," the inimitable Andy Ferguson observed of the Newseum's 2008 opening.
The Newseum, which will remain open until Dec. 31, is offering a 15 percent discount on tickets and is currently running a special exhibit—I swear I'm not making this up—on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.