Brave new news world

SOME years ago, when I was in Washington DC, I visited the Newseum, an institution celebrating journalism and the American First Amendment which protects, among other things, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

I saw the visit as a pilgrimage of sorts. I grew up respecting the ability of words to communicate truth to power, eventually making a career out of it as a journalist.

On Dec 31, 2019, however, the Newseum closed its doors, a victim of funding, or lack thereof. It charged admission, which made it less attractive than DC's many other great and free museums.