Fallen journalists memorial gets support

Lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate recently put forth the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act of 2019 (H.R. 3465 and S. 1969). The proposed legislation would establish a permanent memorial in the nation’s capital for fallen journalists.

On Sept. 24, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission held a meeting addressing the proposed legislation. Representatives from the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation testified at the meeting.

The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act would authorize the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federally owned and administered land in the District of Columbia. No federal funds would be used to build the memorial. The legislation was introduced by senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK).

The FJM Foundation operates under the auspices of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, which is the non-profit educational affiliate of the National Press Club. The foundation is led by former Rep. David Dreier, chairman of Tribune Publishing. Initial funding for the foundation was provided by contributions from the Annenberg Foundation and the Michael and Jacky Ferro Foundation.

The News Media Alliance is among the entities supporting the memorial. “When a journalist is killed in the line of duty, the entire community suffers, but outside of their newsrooms, they rarely receive the recognition they deserve for their sacrifice. We strongly encourage the commission to support our efforts for this memorial and recommend its establishment to the U.S. Congress,” said President and CEO David Chavern.

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