A Head Turner

The New York Post and its "Miley's Sham" cover was today's most popular front page at the Newseum. Heads turned as visitors to the "Today's Front Pages" Gallery noticed a front page that featured an Annie Leibovitz photo taken for "Vanity Fair" that reportedly embarrassed its subject -- teen idol Miley Cyrus. The story continued as community newspapers, including The State of Columbia, S.C., offered reaction of local tweens and teens.

One Day in the Campaign

The presidential campaign has had its ups and downs and stops and starts. A one-day snapshot of the campaign is provided by The Washington Post, The New York Times and USA TODAY, which reported a surge in voter registration for Democrats, a move by Barack Obama to gather support among blue-collar voters and a strong run by John McCain. The Newseum is archiving front pages from the campaign.

Fourth Quarter Politics

The race for the Democratic nomination for president has entered the fourth quarter, but a winner has yet to emerge. So it was a relief to find sports columnist Mike Lopresti on Page One of today's Indianapolis Star.

Lopresti, an Indiana resident, says his fellow Hoosiers are ready for the onslaught of campaigning in advance of the state's May 6 primary.

He writes in a column titled "We're ready for our close-up": "Curious, that this state is something of a high noon for the Democrats. When it comes to choosing presidents, Indiana is considered redder than ketchup. We're one of those states where the polls close at 6 p.m., and the networks make a projection at 6:02. Lyndon Johnson is the only Democrat to carry Indiana since 1936, and his election was 44 years ago. Since then, the state has been as Republican as a Bush family picnic. So this is kind of like the Ohio State Board of Regents meeting in Ann Arbor to decide on its next football coach."

Fightin' Words

Nowhere in America did the word "brawl" appear in presidential campaign headlines today -- except in Minnesota, where both the Star Tribune of Minneapolis and the Pioneer Press of Minnesota used the noun in main headlines explaining that Hillary Clinton's win in the Pennsylvania primary keeps the Democratic race for president alive. Interesting word choice for well-mannered Minnesotans, who this summer host the Republican National Convention.

Smaller Post

The size of the New York Post is slightly smaller today, the result of a 1-1/2 inch reduction in the height of the News Corp. newspaper.

Keystone State

Will it be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama who takes Pennsylvania? Newseum writer John Maynard writes that the media does make mistakes in predicting outcomes. But there's no mistaking the advance work that state newspapers, including The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, have done before today's key primary.

Pope finale

As Pope Benedict XVI heads home to Rome, New York newspapers bid farewell with Monday front pages dedicated to the pontiff's events on Sunday, the final day of a six-day visit -- a blessing at Ground Zero and a Mass for 60,000 at Yankee Stadium. The Newseum has archived coverage of the pope's visit to the East Coast.

What's old is new again

Image that Johnny Depp is in town to play bankrobber John Dillinger in a new film. How to get a piece of the action? The Oshkosh (Wis.) Northwestern returned to 1934 for a front page that brought a "shoot out" to life. In an editorial, the newspaper looked at real headlines from 1934 and found out that things haven't changed all that much. See the Newseum's closer look.

Where's the magic?

Pope Benedict XVI's six-day visit to the U.S. has been filled with pomp -- and substance. Papal events have been almost mesmerizing on TV news, and online news sites have explained and examined aspects of the visit in creative ways. Yet newspaper front pages have been lackluster in their efforts.

One newspaper that has done an exceptional job in advance of Benedict's visit to New York is The Journal News of Westchester, N.Y. Its Web package, Benedict in America, offered video, slideshows and a blog written by religion reporter Gary Stern. The Journal News' front page dissects the papal itinerary in New York.