Knight Foundation makes $25M gift to Newseum, opening April 11 in DC

The soon-to-open Newseum, a 250,000-square-foot, interactive celebration of the news and its contribution to democracy, received a $25-million "founding partner" donation on March 19. It came from the nation's premier journalism-focused foundation. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the gift -- termed the largest from the news community so far to the museum -- to honor the legacy of the Knight brothers. A conference center and broadcast studios will be named in their honor.

Opening April 11 on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the museum of news will remind generations of Washington visitors of the importance of the First Amendment, free speech and the role of the media in a free society, the Miami-based foundation said in announcing its gift.

Starting with the Beacon-Journal in Akron, Ohio, Jack and Jim Knight grew their company, first Knight Newspapers, then Knight Ridder, into one of the nation's largest newspaper companies. Knight Ridder was sold and broken up in 2006, giving impetus to efforts ensuring that the Knight brothers' legacy remains a long-remembered part of American journalism.

"The Newseum will be the most interactive museum in the nation," said Robert Briggs, vice chairman of the Knight Foundation. "That's one of the reasons we are excited by the major education opportunities the Newseum will provide." Once opened, the new museum's two Knight broadcast studios, including the Pennsylvania Avenue Studio overlooking the U.S. Capitol, will be the location of top-flight news programs and civic dialogue on the issues of the day.

"Millions of Americans travel to the National Mall to learn what it means to be an American," said Steiger, editor in chief of ProPublica. "It's fitting for the Fourth Estate to take up residence there."

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950, Knight Foundation has made nearly $400 million in grants to support journalism. To learn more, visit www.knightfoundation.org .

The Newseum - a 250,000-square-foot museum of news - offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. The Newseum is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. It features seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It offers a unique environment that takes museum-goers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made. The Knight Foundation provided seed funding for the New England News Forum.