Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, the New York Daily News was the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. The newspaper’s small size and layout made it easy to handle on the subway, where it quickly found a readership. The newspaper attracted readers with sensational and titillating articles and photographs. The Daily News became famous for its coverage of crime and scandal, as well as entertainment and celebrity news. The paper also included cartoons and classified ads. The paper reached its peak circulation in 1947, with 2.4 million daily copies being distributed.
The Daily News grew into an influential voice on city politics, and was known for supporting progressive social issues. The newspaper defended the First Amendment, and often stood in opposition to labor unions. The Daily News pushed the boundaries of journalism, such as when it published a picture of Ruth Snyder mid-electrocution (which sparked a national outcry).
In the 1980s, the Daily News was in financial trouble, losing $1 million a month. The newspaper considered closing, but feared the cost of severance pay and pensions would be too high. In 1982, the newspaper’s parent company put it up for sale. Businessman Mortimer Zuckerman bought the newspaper, and by the turn of the 21st century, the Daily News was one of the top-selling newspapers in the nation, though its circulation had dwindled significantly from its mid-20th century peak.
While the Daily News has been criticized for its sensationalized front page stories, it is still a prominent and influential newspaper. In the 1990s, it won Pulitzer Prizes for E.R. Shipp’s pieces on welfare and race issues, and Mike McAlary’s coverage of police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. In addition to intense city news coverage, the Daily News includes celebrity gossip, comics, a sports section and an opinion column.
The Daily News maintains local offices throughout New York City, including in Brooklyn and Queens. It also has an office in Washington, D.C., and a bureau in the Bronx. The Daily News has also maintained a presence in television, with the establishment of WPIX in 1948. The TV station’s call letters were taken from the newspaper’s nickname. The Daily News also established a radio station, which later became WFAN-FM.
The Yale Daily News is the nation’s oldest college newspaper and serves students at Yale University and New Haven, Connecticut. It is editorially independent, but financially and politically affiliated with the University. The News is also the publisher of a weekly insert known as BET Weekend, and several special issues during the academic year celebrating Black, Latino, Asian American and Indigenous communities in collaboration with Yale’s cultural centers and student groups. The News also publishes the annual Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue and Commencement Issue. Anyone may submit a guest column, but the News strongly prefers submissions from individuals with a connection to Yale or New Haven. The News reserves the right to edit and reject submissions at its discretion.