Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, a publisher of the Chicago Tribune, the Daily News was America’s first successful tabloid newspaper. It attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs and cartoons, and an emphasis on entertainment and celebrity news. During its heyday in the 1940s it had the highest circulation of any newspaper in the world. The paper was known for its “aggressively for America and for New York” policy and was a major influence on later tabloid newspapers. The original Daily News building, a 36-story freestanding Art Deco structure designed by Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells, straddled the railroad tracks leading into Manhattan’s Pennsylvania Station and became an iconic part of Manhattan West. The newspaper’s headquarters was later featured in the television series and movies Superman and The Amazing Spider-Man.
During the 1980s, the newspaper began to lose money. It was losing $1 million a month, due in large part to union demands for rules and jobs that were driving up the cost of payroll. The management, led by editor-cum-interim publisher James Willse, sought to break union contracts but were unsuccessful. Closing the newspaper was considered but rejected, as it would have cost millions in severance pay and pensions.
In 1993, the Daily News was purchased by Mort Zuckerman, owner of The Atlantic magazine and several other media companies. He made several big changes to the newspaper, attempting to revitalize its earnings potential by repositioning it as a serious tabloid. One of the most notable changes was upgrading the paper to color printing, which greatly improved its visual appeal and boosted readership.
The News also changed its editorial stance, shifting from a staunch Republican publication to a more centrist stance with a view of itself as the “Honest Voice of New York.” In addition to its local and national political coverage, the paper continued to provide strong coverage of sports and other local news events.
By the 21st century, the Daily News was no longer able to grab the city’s attention as it had in 1975 with its headline screamer, “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” However, the newspaper remained one of the nation’s top-selling newspapers, albeit with much lower circulation than its mid-20th-century peak.
Today, the Daily News is owned by the New York Times Company and provides a combination of print and online news products for New Yorkers and those around the world. The newspaper’s website features breaking news stories, politics, business, entertainment, and more. In addition to its online and digital products, the Daily News has a radio program called Local Pulse. It airs live every Saturday morning and interviews city politicians and business leaders. It is available for download on its mobile app and iTunes. The Daily News also has a social media page that is updated regularly. The News’s motto is “The Eyes, the Ears and the Honest Voice of New York”.