Freedom Forum is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by publisher Al Neuharth, founder of the newspaper USA Today, based on the previous Gannett Foundation.

Prior to opening in Virginia, it maintained exhibition galleries in Nashville and Manhattan, the latter in the lobby of the former IBM Building at 590 Madison Avenue.

[9] Jerry Frieheim, a 1956 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, was the first executive director of the Newseum and claims to have coined the name.

[10] The 643,000-square-foot (60,000 m2) Newseum included a 90-foot (27 m) high atrium, seven levels of displays, 15 theaters, a dozen major galleries, many more smaller exhibits, two broadcast studios, and an expanded interactive newsroom.

[14] Journalist Alan Rusbridger of The Guardian wrote that visitors would have "a great family day out"; he considered some of the exhibits, such as a red dress worn by Helen Thomas, "faintly ridiculous" while praising others, such as a large chunk of the actual Berlin Wall.

Although writing that the Newseum displayed "self-glorification, pomposity and vanity" in an "overwhelmingly American-centric" way, he described the building design as "uplifting" and generally commended the features.

Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for the New York Times, panned the second Newseum building as "the latest reason to lament the state of contemporary architecture in" Washington, D.C.[18] Writing on the Newseum's content, Times culture critic Edward Rothstein wrote that "a good portion of the museum's earnestly sought attention is well deserved" but "the museum's preening does call for some skepticism.

"[19] Gannett's USA Today noted that while reviews of the building's architecture had been mixed, the high number of visitors was a sign that the Newseum was successful, even in a capital city full of museums.

[21] The AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington DC describes the view from the Avenue as a "barrage, with numerous elements vying for your attention.

[23] Kevin D. Williamson of National Review Online defended the Newseum, calling the criticism "nonsense concentrate" and arguing that media-owning companies have an interest in promoting non-conservative causes.

[24] Jack Shafer, co-editor of Slate, criticized the Newseum's exhibit about the career of the late NBC reporter Tim Russert.

[26] After a year-long review of the circumstances surrounding their deaths, the Newseum, in partnership with other journalism organizations decided their names would remain on the Journalists Memorial wall.

NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel said at the Newseum's dedication ceremony that it was difficult to draw the line, and several reporters on the list were Syrians who were also activists who were trying to topple Bashar al-Assad's government.

Included was the laptop computer used by Daniel Pearl, the bloodstained notebook of Michael Weisskopf, and the 1976 Datsun 710 belonging to Don Bolles that was bombed in Phoenix.

[40] In January 2019, the Freedom Forum announced The Johns Hopkins University would purchase the building for $372.5 million in order to use the space for several graduate programs.

[41] Despite a substantial revenue stream of rents, museum admissions, and event fees, the Newseum lost a significant amount of money.

[50] On July 12, 2019, Johns Hopkins presented designs that showed the removal of the First Amendment etched stone panel from the building's façade.

As a result, in December 2020, a bipartisan group of members of Congress brought about the enactment of a bill which authorized the construction of a memorial to fallen journalists on public land with private funds.