Then make sure you don't miss the Annual Meeting Grand Finale on Wednesday night, which this year takes place at Washington DC's Newseum. While there, you can also see how a TV studio works, read pages from historic newspapers and try your hand at presenting a news report, all while making connections with more than 4,000 Annual Meeting attendees.
Opened at its current location at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue four years ago, the Newseum boasts 250,000 square feet of exhibits about the history of news making on seven levels. Entrance is normally US$22 for adults, but at the Grand Finale INTA attendees can enjoy the whole experience for free. And don't miss the top-floor terrace with its views of the Capitol, National Mall and Washington Monument.
Many of the exhibits are grand in scale, such as the largest section of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany, the radio mast from the World Trade Center, a bomb-damaged CNN truck from Bosnia and a Bell Jet Ranger news chopper, which hangs in the atrium.
But if you have time there are also fascinating smaller things to see, such as the collection of newspapers from around the world from the seventeenth century to the present, which can be viewed in their original form and also close-up on 10 touch-screen TVs (level 5). This being Washington, there are also plenty of exhibits relating to politics, ranging from a history of presidential elections (level 6) to pictures of the "First Dogs" (level 2). And sports fans will not want to miss the memorable photos, including iconic images of Mohammed Ali and the Olympics, by Neil Leifer (concourse level).
Reflecting the world of news today, the Newseum is highly interactive, with the static exhibits complemented by videos, movie theaters and a recreation of the office of NBC journalist Tim Russert (level 4). And, for any INTA attendees who have always wanted to be a TV star, there are eight stations where you can take a microphone, stand before the camera and find out what it's like to be a reporter (level 2). Who knows, it could be the beginning of a new career!
