WASHINGTON, July 3, 2019 – The Military Reporters & Editors association today expressed support for establishing a U.S. memorial to journalists who have lost their lives while performing their jobs.
The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act of 2019 would authorize the use of federal land in Washington, D.C., for the memorial, which would be built using private funds that a new foundation would help raise.
The support from MRE, a leading voice of defense journalists, comes at a timely moment, as the United States prepares to celebrate its 243rd birthday.
“We hope Americans will take time this Independence Day to cherish all our liberties, starting with the First Amendment, which protects freedom of expression,” said MRE President John M. Donnelly. “We hope they will also ponder how press freedom, which is under siege today, is one of the liberties our soldiers have fought and sometimes died to defend. And we hope they will reflect on the many reporters who have also given their lives performing their constitutional function–a fact that this memorial will commemorate.”
The bipartisan legislation authorizing the memorial was introduced June 26 in both the U.S. House and Senate. If approved, the law will allow the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to independently raise funds and to plan for the design, construction and maintenance of the memorial.
“Journalists often take great personal risk in order to report the news,” said MRE Secretary Susan Katz Keating. “Sometimes, they die while pursuing truth. We need a memorial to help us remember that.”
The FJM Foundation will operate under the National Press Club Journalism Institute (NPCJI), a non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club.
Military Reporters & Editors is a leading membership organization based in Washington, D.C., that comprises nearly 300 reporters, editors, public affairs professionals, researchers, academics and students who specialize in national security.
Contact: John M. Donnelly, MRE President: 202 650 6738; jdonnelly@cq.com