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The Exhibits Honor Journalism; the Gift Shop Sells ‘Fake News’ Newseum Says It Made a Mistake and Pulls ‘Fake News’ Shirts
(about 20 hours later)
The Newseum’s mission statement proclaims its dedication to a free press and the point is hammered home on the building’s exterior where the First Amendment is inscribed on 74-foot-tall stretch of marble. The Newseum in Washington, which caused a stir Friday after reports that it was selling a T-shirt reading “You Are Very Fake News,” announced Saturday that it was pulling the shirts from its gift shop and online store.
So it has surprised a few visitors and supporters of the museum in Washington to find that its gift shop is selling a T-shirt that reads “You Are Very Fake News.” “We made a mistake and we apologize,” the museum, which is dedicated to press freedom, said in a statement on its website. “A free press is an essential part of our democracy and journalists are not the enemy of the people.”
The museum’s hawking of the shirt, on sale Friday for $19.97, was pointed out by the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. “Fake news,” of course, has become a rallying cry for President Trump and his supporters, who contend that the news media presents a distorted view of the president and his administration and fabricates facts. He has repeatedly called the press the “enemy of the people.”
“I think it’s obviously intended as a joke,” said Robert MacNeil, an author and a Newseum trustee emeritus. “I don’t think it’s a great joke.“ “Real news wins!” was the response on Saturday from Jim Acosta, the chief White House correspondent for CNN. When Mr. Acosta, who has been a frequent target of the president and his allies, heard on Friday about the shirts at the Newseum, he said, “If they’re that strapped for cash, I’m happy to make a donation.”
“Fake news,” of course, has become a rallying cry for President Trump and his supporters who contend the news media present a distorted view of the president and his administration and fabricate facts. The rhetoric has escalated to the point where Mr. Trump has said journalists are the “enemy of the people.” The Newseum has struggled financially since it opened its new home on Pennsylvania Avenue in 2008, besieged by crippling debt and an expensive building in a city full of free museums. Merchandising has provided a crucial income flow.
So the idea that the shirt would be sold at a museum that honors journalists seemed a bit confusing to some in Washington who practice that craft. So in addition to the “Fake News” T-shirt, there’s a coloring book that depicts Mr. Trump as a superhero and a red “Make America Great Again” hat. Those hats, and F.B.I. hats, are the biggest sellers, Sonya Gavankar, the director of public relations for the museum, told the Poynter Institute, the journalism think tank that reported the sale of the shirts on Friday.
“If they’re that strapped for cash, I’m happy to make a donation,” Jim Acosta, the chief White House correspondent for CNN said. Mr. Acosta has been a frequent target of the president and his allies, and Mr. Trump’s supporters have gone so far as to call him a “traitor” at rallies. In its statement on Saturday, the Newseum noted that although questions had been raised about gift items beyond the shirt, “we’ve historically made all types of political merchandise available.”
The Newseum has struggled financially since it opened its new home on Pennsylvania Avenue in 2008, besieged by crippling debt and an expensive building in a city with several free museums. Merchandising has provided a crucial income flow. “That has included former and current presidential slogans and imagery and merchandise from all political parties,” the statement concluded. “We continue to do so in celebration of freedom of speech.”
So in addition to the “Fake News” T-shirt, there’s a coloring book that depicts Mr. Trump as a superhero and a red “Make America Great Again” hat. Those hats, and F.B.I. hats, are the biggest sellers, Sonya Govankar, the director of public relations for the museum, told Poynter. On Friday, Ms. Gavankar had described the shirts the same way, as a celebration of free speech. She was not available for comment on Saturday.
In an email, Scott Williams, the president and chief executive officer of the museum, pointed out, “We sold a lot of Obama merchandise while he was president and during his campaigns and it was the same sort of merchandise: buttons, T-shirts, posters, etc.” “As a nonpartisan organization, people with differing viewpoints feel comfortable visiting the Newseum, and one of our greatest strengths is that we’re champions not only of a free press but also of free speech,” she said at the time.
But “Fake News?” The Newseum’s mission statement proclaims that it is devoted to a free press, and the point is hammered home on the building’s exterior, where the First Amendment is inscribed on a 74-foot-tall stretch of marble. So some visitors and supporters — not to mention practitioners of journalism who spoke up on Twitter — were surprised to find the shirt for sale there.
“We recognize why you’re asking the question,” Ms. Govankar said in a statement to Poynter. “I think it’s obviously intended as a joke,” Robert MacNeil, an author and a Newseum trustee emeritus, said Friday. “I don’t think it’s a great joke.”
She described the inclusion of the shirt in the museum’s offerings as an attempt to celebrate free speech. Scott Williams, the president and chief executive of the museum, said the sales of the Trump-related items did not directly benefit the president or his campaign.
“As a nonpartisan organization, people with differing viewpoints feel comfortable visiting the Newseum, and one of our greatest strengths is that we’re champions not only of a free press but also of free speech,” she said.
Indira Lakshmanan, the chairwoman for journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute, questioned this explanation.
“The Newseum says this is about ‘freedom of speech,’ but it feels as if there’s some confusion in definitions here,” Ms. Lakshmanan said in an email. “It’s appropriate for critics of the press to have freedom to air their views. But I think it’s very off message for a museum dedicated to press freedom to sell ‘fake news’ merchandise quoting daily attacks by the president intent on discrediting the press.”
Mr. Williams said the sales of the Trump-related items do not directly benefit the president or his campaign.
“Like all our hats, T-shirts, buttons, etc., those are purchased from a third-party manufacturer,” Mr. Williams said. “The phrase is not trademarked, and no, Trump nor his campaign see any revenue from the sales of that or any other merchandise. Of course, those hats are sold as souvenirs all over D.C., and I’m sure they come from a variety of companies.”“Like all our hats, T-shirts, buttons, etc., those are purchased from a third-party manufacturer,” Mr. Williams said. “The phrase is not trademarked, and no, Trump nor his campaign see any revenue from the sales of that or any other merchandise. Of course, those hats are sold as souvenirs all over D.C., and I’m sure they come from a variety of companies.”
But the optics, nevertheless, raised eyebrows.But the optics, nevertheless, raised eyebrows.
“I’m not sure that I think it’s the greatest, especially with the Newseum logo on there,” Esther Wojcicki, a Newseum board member and a journalism teacher, said. “You’re kind of like a walking billboard when you’re wearing a T-shirt. You want to promote a message in one glance.”“I’m not sure that I think it’s the greatest, especially with the Newseum logo on there,” Esther Wojcicki, a Newseum board member and a journalism teacher, said. “You’re kind of like a walking billboard when you’re wearing a T-shirt. You want to promote a message in one glance.”
Mr. Williams of the museum said that the message behind the “Fake News” shirt is not quite as direct as some critics are suggesting. Mr. Williams said Friday that the message behind the “Fake News” shirt was not quite as direct as some critics suggested.
“Fake news is a word that is in our popular culture now,” he said, “and this is intended to be a ‘satirical rebuke’ and appears in our store with T-shirts that include a variety of other “tongue-in-cheek” sayings.”“Fake news is a word that is in our popular culture now,” he said, “and this is intended to be a ‘satirical rebuke’ and appears in our store with T-shirts that include a variety of other “tongue-in-cheek” sayings.”
Late Saturday afternoon, the shirt was still visible on the Newseum website, but it was not possible to purchase it.