The Daily News is an American newspaper based in New York City. Founded in 1919, it is the nation’s first tabloid and reached its peak circulation in 1947. The paper is owned by the New York Times Company, and it has a long history of competing with its rival, the New York Post, for readers.
The paper’s early days were marked by sensational coverage of crime and politics, including the Teapot Dome Scandal and the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. The Daily News also emphasized photography, becoming an early user of the AP wirephoto service and developing a large staff of photographers.
As the century progressed, the paper became more conservative, though it remained competitive with its more liberal rivals. By the 1980s, however, the Daily News was losing money due to union demands for concessions regarding rules, job numbers and overtime. The tabloid was also suffering from competition from television news and online media.
During this period, the Daily News developed an aggressively pro-American editorial policy. It championed civil rights, defended the First Amendment and attacked government corruption, especially in the New York area. In 1996, the paper won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing for E.R. Shipp’s series on welfare and race issues, and in 1998 it won another Pulitzer for Mike McAlary’s coverage of police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima.
In the 21st century, the Daily News continued to publish a range of stories, from intense local news coverage to celebrity gossip and classified ads. The newspaper also ran a variety of comics and a sports section, as well as an opinion section.
By 2016, the paper was struggling to compete with digital news outlets and other traditional competitors, and its readership had dropped significantly. The newspaper reverted to its more sensational roots, even giving Republican Senator Ted Cruz the middle finger via the Statue of Liberty’s hand and rehashing its most famous headline from 1975: “TRUMP TO WORLD: DROP DEAD!”
In addition to its main publication, the Yale Daily News, the paper also produces a number of special issues throughout the year, including the Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue and the Commencement Issue. The Daily News is also available on several platforms, including the New York Times e-Edition and WKND. The newspaper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and it serves Yale and the surrounding community. The News is a member of the News Corporation family, which includes the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times e-Edition. The News’s parent company is Tribune Co., and it is the world’s fifth largest newspaper publisher by revenue. Each Daily News article contains comprehension and critical thinking questions, found below the story, and “Background” and “Resources” (including video clips, maps and links) to further support student learning. Sign up to receive a free daily email of the Daily News. It’s as easy as clicking the “subscribe” button.
