Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation


The Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation exists to construct a permanent memorial in Washington, D.C. to honor fallen journalists. The effort was launched as an initiative of the Tribune Publishing Company by its chairman, David Dreier, at the National Press Club Journalism Institute in June 2019. That marked the first anniversary of the deadliest assault against journalists in United States history. On June 28, 2018, a gunman killed five employees in the newsroom of The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Tribune Publishing is the parent company of The Capital.
The FJM Foundation is housed at the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the club's non-profit educational affiliate, with Barbara Cochran serving as president of the foundation.
Dreier, who is a former senior member of the United States House of Representatives and a longtime champion of press freedoms, has said that he looks forward to leading this multi-year effort to its completion.
The only memorial commemorating journalists located in Washington, D.C. resided at the Newseum, which closed at the end of 2019. Dreier has said that, in addition to the mass shooting at The Capital in 2018, the closing of the Newseum provided inspiration for the FJM project.
The Annenberg Foundation and the Michael and Jackie Ferro Foundation have provided initial funds for the FJM Foundation.

Legislation

The enactment of federal legislation is required to authorize the establishment of a commemorative work in Washington, D.C. The approval of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission is required as well.
On June 25, 2019, a bipartisan and bicameral group of members of the United States Congress introduced the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act of 2019, which would permit the construction of a Fallen Journalists Memorial in Area I or Area II of Washington, D.C., as depicted by U.S. National Park Service dated June 24, 2003. This permissible area includes all of Washington, D.C. except the "Reserve", which stretches from Lafayette Park neighboring the White House to the Jefferson Memorial, and from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
In accordance with the Commemorative Works Act of 1986, the FJM project will be funded with private donations., and its environs produced by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior. This map shows the three areas used by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, U.S. National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, U.S. National Capital Planning Commission, and U.S. National Park Service to site commemorative works in the D.C. metropolitan area. This map is cited in the designating acceptable locations for the Fallen Journalists Memorial. In the House of Representatives, Grace Napolitano and Tom Cole sponsored H.R. 3465, which has been referred to the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. In the Senate, Rob Portman and Ben Cardin sponsored S. 1969, which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. As of July 2020, 49 representatives and 12 senators have cosponsored the legislation in the 116th Congress.

Progress

On September 24, 2019, representatives from the FJM Foundation, including President Barbara Cochran, testified before the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission in support of a permanent memorial to fallen journalists. The Commission tentatively voted to support the effort.
On December 4, 2019, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands heard testimony on the memorial from Cochran and Representative Napolitano.
On January 15, 2020, the House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act so that the legislation will be considered by the full House of Representatives.

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