A daily newspaper based in New York City, founded in 1919. The paper was the first to be printed in tabloid format and reached its peak circulation in 1947 at 2.4 million daily copies. The paper is known for its sensational pictorial coverage, and was one of the first papers to use a wire photo service. It also incorporated a comics section, a sports page and an opinion section.
The News is a major source of information about the politics and culture of New York City, and has a reputation for exposing scandals and wrongdoing by government officials. Its investigative reporting and commentary have earned it a number of Pulitzer Prizes, including in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s article on race and welfare issues, and in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s report on police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. The News also has a strong focus on local news, and is the top source of Yankees and Mets news.
At the turn of the 21st century, the Daily News was still considered to be one of the premier American newspapers. However, its circulation had dwindled well below its mid-20th-century peak. In addition, the paper was in a constant battle with its rival tabloid, the New York Post, for front-page attention.
In the 1980s, the News became even more financially challenged due to its over-reliance on union concessions in terms of rules, job numbers and overtime. As a result, by the late 1980s it was losing over $1 million a month. The News was also in competition with USA Today, which had begun to steal some of its readers.
Despite the financial woes, the newspaper managed to stay in business and continued its tradition of breaking big stories. One of the most memorable was in 1928, when a News reporter strapped a small camera to his leg and captured a picture of Ruth Snyder as she was being electrocuted in the electric chair. The image ran the next day under the headline “DEAD!”
By 1993, the News was owned by Robert Maxwell’s media company, which was attempting to turn the paper around with a series of big investments. One of these was $60 million towards color presses, which allowed the paper to better compete with USA Today in terms of visual quality. The News also began to focus on its editorial side, winning a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1996 for its work on social issues and another in 1998 for coverage of the police beating of Louima.
In 2017, the News was sold to Tronc, a Chicago-based media company. As part of the deal, Tronc agreed to assume the newspaper’s debt. The Daily News continued to publish, but its staff has dwindled significantly since the sale. It now publishes a smaller edition, which is focused primarily on local news and sports. The paper’s website includes comprehension and critical thinking questions that are posted under each story, and offers “Background” and “Resources” (including video clips and links) to help students understand the articles.