The Newseum, D.C’s institution dedicated to the story of the free press, is facing the same fate as much of print media. At the end of the year, the museum will close its doors.
The Newseum announced its closure on October 1st. In a news release, the museum wrote that financial struggles, including the cost of operating in its current location on Pennsylvania Avenue, made continued operation unsustainable. Newseum’s primary funder Freedom Forum, a charity organization that focuses on First Amendment issues, said that continuing to fund the museum at its current level would drain the Forum’s endowment.
In January 2019, the Newseum signed an agreement to sell its current building to John Hopkins University. At the time of its opening in 2008, the building was one of the most expensive museums ever built. John Hopkins plans to move its D.C-based graduate programs into the building.
Museum administration has indicated that the museum will reopen at a new location. However, they have not indicated when or where the new museum will open.