01 May Federal Agency Approves Location on the National Mall for Memorial Honoring Fallen Journalists
Commission on Fine Arts greenlights plans to build a landscape memorial with a direct view of the U.S. Capitol, design & construction process to begin
May 1, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) – The Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation on Thursday received site approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) to begin designing a memorial on the National Mall to commemorate America’s commitment to a free press by honoring journalists who have died while reporting the news.
The approved site is located in Washington, D.C. at Independence Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and 3rd SW, between the National Museum of the American Indian and Voice of America. The memorial will be funded entirely by private donations, with the goal of completing the project by the end of 2028. A public comment period with the National Park Service extends through May 5.
“I want to express my appreciation to the CFA for their diligent review of our site selection study and endorsement of such a preeminent and historically significant site,” said Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation President Barbara Cochran. “The location of this memorial on the National Mall in direct line of sight of the U.S. Capitol will underscore the significance and value our nation places on press freedom and those who died in service to that cause.”
“I am proud that we have achieved this important milestone in near record time,” said Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation Founder and Chairman David Dreier. “We could not have done it without the support and partnership of our bipartisan champions in Congress, my former colleagues Ben Cardin, Grace Napolitano, Tom Cole, Rob Portman and Chris Van Hollen.”
Collaborating with Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the Foundation has begun identifying potential architects, designers and artists who can create a commemorative landscape that represents the full breadth of journalism – past, present, and future. The memorial will serve as a place for reflection and appreciation for those who lost their lives, a convening space for commemoration, and a focal point for learning about the First Amendment and the role of journalism in a functioning democracy.
“I am excited to begin the process of finding a design team that can convey the urgent importance of the principle of freedom of the press that the First Amendment represents, and that will at the same time honor those who have given their lives for this principle in the course of their work as journalists,” stated Goldberger, who is overseeing the design selection process.
In addition to a physical memorial, the Foundation will provide programming and digital resources to educate the public on the history of the First Amendment, the importance of a free press and the courage of individual journalists who have sacrificed their lives. The Foundation will undertake these initiatives in partnership with educational institutions, journalism organizations and other stakeholders that work to protect a free press.
About Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation
The Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation was authorized by Congress in December 2020 to build a memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C. to commemorate America’s commitment to a free press by honoring journalists who have sacrificed their lives in service to that cause. The Foundation is led by former U.S. Representative David Dreier and former news executive and journalism professor Barbara Cochran. The Foundation is supported by numerous leaders from all segments of the journalism community who serve on its Board of Advisors, including editors and publishers, news anchors, and photojournalists. To learn more about the Fallen Journalists Memorial and how to support this work at www.fallenjournalists.org and follow us at @FJMemorial.
Contacts:
The Levinson Group
203-501-0058