Washington (AFP)

For more than 10 years, by its location between the White House and the Capitol, the Newseum has proudly reminded the importance of the press in a democracy. In this regard, the closure of this museum at the end of the year is symbolic of a media sector plagued by severe financial difficulties and attacks by politicians.

Known for its collection of newspapers from around the world and its exhibitions on September 11 or the fall of the Berlin Wall, the establishment announced in early 2019 that it was selling its huge building. Located on famous Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, it was sold for $ 372.5 million to Johns Hopkins University.

The Freedom Forum, a non-profit association created by the founder of the national daily USA Today and which runs the Newseum, has announced that it will continue its public education mission. Without specifying whether the museum would find a new building to house its collection.

"The future of the Newseum is currently uncertain," said spokeswoman Sonya Gavankar. "It will take us at least six months to uninstall the exhibits and store them in our archives. Once this step is completed, we will see what the future holds."

The first Newseum opened in 1997 in Arlington, in the suburbs of Washington, before moving in 2008 to the historic heart of the American capital, with unparalleled views of Congress and the "National Mall", the monumental avenue that crosses the city.

Despite 10 million visitors in two decades, this museum of journalism, with very educational exhibitions in an attempt to reach the widest possible audience, did not survive the media crisis.

Thousands of American newspapers have closed in recent years due to lack of funding and the digital revolution.

The Newseum is also chargeable, while the largest museums in the federal capital are free.

- Freedom of press -

According to the Pew Research Center, an independent institute, the number of journalists has dropped by a quarter over the decade. The decline in resources has been combined with an erosion of confidence in the media.

According to a Gallup Institute poll published in September, only 40% of Americans have "high" or "fair" confidence in newspapers, television or radio. In the 1970s, they were over 70%.

The media have found in Donald Trump a formidable adversary, who goes so far as to call them "enemies of the people". In his line, many leaders around the world took up this speech with populist overtones to convince their voters of the misdeeds of the press.

In this dire climate, the Newseum sought to defend the five freedoms set out in the first amendment to the United States Constitution: freedoms of religion, speech and the press, and the right to assemble and petition the government. A mission to which visitors, coming from the four corners of the United States and the world because of the reputation of the museum, were sensitive.

Cathy Cawley, a resident of Ashland, in the suburbs of Washington, told AFP that she wanted to visit the museum a second time, notably for the exhibition paying tribute to the journalists murdered for doing their job. "It made me realize the importance of press freedom," she said.

Julia Greenwald, an English teacher at a school in the American capital, wanted to show the museum to her young students. "It's sad that it closes," she said. "It is one of the coolest museums in Washington", a city which nevertheless has almost 70, she believes.

© 2019 AFP