Founded in 1919, the New York Daily News was the first tabloid newspaper in the United States. It became one of the most popular papers in the world, with a peak circulation in 1947 of over 2.4 million copies a day, making it the eleventh-largest circulated paper in the country. The News focused on sensational subjects and celebrity gossip, relying on a large staff of photographers to capture dramatic images. The paper was an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and developed its own photographic studios. The News’s flagship building, 220 East 42nd Street, designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, was an official city and national landmark. It was the model for the Daily Planet building in the first two Superman films. In 1995 the News moved to a smaller headquarters at 450 West 33rd Street, now known as Manhattan West.
The News was the first to introduce an obituary section and was also the first major American newspaper to publish photos of a murderer being hanged. The paper was also a pioneer in sports journalism, breaking many first-person stories that had previously only been reported from official sources. During the Depression, the News took advantage of its enormous readership by offering free newspapers to people in need of jobs. This strategy greatly expanded the newspaper’s audience and its profits, and became a model for other businesses to follow.
Each Daily News article contains “Comprehension” and “Critical Thinking” questions that help students better understand the story, and “Background” and “Resources” that provide additional information and support. The site fulfills Common Core standards and is a great resource for teachers.
Daily News is available online, in print and on mobile devices. A digital subscription includes unlimited access to our entire collection of articles on the go and anytime, anywhere. You can view the full articles, including obituaries and comics, or select a topic to start browsing.
Our archive contains hundreds of thousands of newspaper articles, images and videos. This is a unique and valuable resource, but it also takes a lot of time and money to maintain. Your donations can help us continue to grow and improve our service.
The Yale Daily News Historical Archive provides access to digitized issues of the Yale Daily News, the oldest college daily in the United States. The Archive consists of over 140 years of YDN reporting. The archive is fully searchable and browsable, with the exception of some older issues. The YDN Archive has been funded through generous gifts from individual donors and the support of the Yale University Library.