Washington is a city that makes and breaks news. Whether you’re a reporter or just a news junkie, here are five places that you shouldn’t miss.
The Newseum hosts the broadcast communication antenna from the North Tower that was hit on 9/11. Gina Harkins/MNS
The Newseum – Exactly halfway through our Washington quarter, Medill students were given the best gift any burnt-out journalism student could receive – a day at the Newseum. There, you can browse through Pulitzer Prize-winning photos and archived newspapers with headlines from the world’s most important events. The exhibits on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina shouldn’t be missed. Seeing the challenges journalists faced during those catastrophes will put into perspective the struggle of meeting your deadline on that crucial story on corn subsidies. Don’t skip the movie on the Presidents’ Photographers. And be prepared to blow through some serious cash at the gift shop. The gear, like the “Will write for food” T-shirt or a copy of Tim Russert’s famous “Thou shall not whine” sign, is not easy for a journalist to pass up.
The Washington Post – You know that beautiful font you see every morning at the top of Washington’s most influential paper? It’s on a building, and it will inspire you. Or at least inspire you to take some pictures with your face next to the logo. Take a walk down 15th Street and check it out. And why not drop off your resume while you’re there?
The National Press Club offers its members and their guests free tacos on Friday nights. Gina Harkins/MNS
The National Press Club – Three words: Free Taco Fridays! What graduate student can’t use a free meal? Plus, it’s in a far fancier-looking and historic place than you’ll normally be eating. So grab your colleagues (only one has to be a Press Club member) for a Friday night out rubbing elbows with other journalists (turns out everyone loves some free tacos) and feel official. The décor is super classy, so pull up a cozy leather armchair and swap reporting tales from the week. Nothing washes away the frustration of sources refusing to call you back like tacos and a couple beers for under $10. And you can hit the Press Club’s free gym on Monday to work off your Mexican fiesta.
The Watergate Complex – Stand in the space where modern-day investigative journalism was born. Imagine seedy characters, skulking around at the request of the Nixon administration, breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1970. Then grab a friend and pretend to be Bob Woodward and Deep Throat exchanging information. Get excited about those investigative pieces you’re working on. And since it’s still a popular housing choice for members of Congress, be on the lookout for your own potential sources.
The typical view of the White House is full of distractions, so get behind the gates and report on a story. Gina Harkins/MNS
Get inside the White House gates – Reporting from the White House at least once is a must. My first trip to the White House was just a quick look from the street, with the black bars of the iron fence and several gaggles of tourists in the way. Just a few weeks later –after many ID checks and passing through full security, of course – I was standing in the Obamas’ driveway. Have your camera out and ready to take a picture of the view from inside the gates, because they usher reporters in and out quickly, under many a Secret Service guy’s watchful eye.