When we last checked in with the Newseum, it had just accepted as an exhibit reporter Ben Jacobs eyeglasses, which were broken when then-candidate Greg Gianforte body-slammed him after he’d had enough questions from the press.
So what is the Newseum really for? An insider called it “a slow-motion disaster” earlier this year, and The Washington Post reported in February that the operators were considering either moving or shutting down:
The survival of the Newseum — which charges one of the city’s highest museum entrance fees at up to almost $25 per person — has long been in doubt as it has sought to compete for visitors and donors in a capital awash in free cultural institutions. In 2016, the museum operated at a substantial loss, spending $8.2 million more than the $55.7 million in revenue it generated, according to previously unreported tax documents. That was more than triple the shortfall from the previous year. The museum has posted an annual deficit every year since it opened in its current location, tax records show.
So, yeah, you can say it symbolizes free speech and freedom of the press, but really it’s just a museum of journalism that no one wants to pay $25 to see when they visit Washington. No wonder they’re not picky about selling “Fake News” T-shirts in the gift shop.
Jeff Jarvis, a professor of CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, just went to the store today after it said it would pull the “Fake News” T-shirts and was appalled to find MAGA hats and “Make America Great Again” pins still on shelves.
Except I *just* went to the store and the fake-news T shirt is there. So is the MAGA hat. So is the "Trump make America great again" pin. I expect them to get rid of all this. https://t.co/3ECGythyji
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) August 4, 2018
Update: The Newseum is still promoting the fake news shirt on its store page but when clicking on it, it's now not available. Good followthrough, folks.
Oh, but the MAGA hat is still for sale.
That's not your job, Newseum. Get rid of it.— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) August 4, 2018
If you had any sense, @Newseum, you'd take down the whole damned store until you pulled back and considered why you exist. (Though I'm not sure I could find an answer to that question.)
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) August 4, 2018
Because vain buffoons like you like nothing more than celebrating yourselves? https://t.co/O4eWmiw3no
— BT (@back_ttys) August 4, 2018
Like we pointed out above: the Newseum is probably a lot less concerned with why it exists right now than it is concerned if it’s going to exist in a year.
So what would Jarvis approve of in the Newseum gift shop? Marble busts of Dan Rather?
Calm down.
— JWF (@JammieWF) August 4, 2018
Get your hysteria under control, Sally.
— William Strunk, Jr. (@cdrusnret) August 4, 2018
Consider your existence bc t-shirts and hats. https://t.co/ATSCdHKqR0
— Dan ?? (@danieltobin) August 4, 2018
Nothing is good enough for this courageous resistance warrior. Now is the time for deep reflection to the meaning of existence for a…..gift shop. https://t.co/3canG19ftn
— Craig Ray (@caustinray72) August 4, 2018
"Free speech for me, but not for thee" say the "journalists"
— Kevin D Jones (@Kevin_D_Jones) August 4, 2018
Lol. ? https://t.co/Gov26fDIAY
— Antonio Martinez (@djtechchicago) August 4, 2018
Maybe the Newseum will finally sell some admissions to protesters wanting to occupy the gift shop until it’s ideologically sanitized.
Related:
Newseum apologizes for stepping outside media's free speech boundaries, stops selling 'Fake News' t-shirts https://t.co/gP4t85c97u
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 4, 2018
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