The Daily News is an American tabloid newspaper based in New York City, United States. It is owned by the Tribune Company and serves New York City and its surrounding areas. The News was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, a former publisher of the Chicago Tribune. Patterson modeled his paper on the London tabloid the Daily Mirror, and hoped to emulate its success in New York.
By the 1940s, the Daily News had become the nation’s largest newspaper, reaching an estimated 2.4 million readers per day and 4.7 million on Sundays. Its brassy, pictorial style helped to distinguish it from its more staid competitors. The News was also an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and employed a large staff of photographers. In addition to its intense city news coverage, the Daily News featured celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics, and a sports section.
Despite its massive circulation, the Daily News struggled financially and was plagued by a series of labor strikes. In 1978, the News was forced to shut down for 147 days during a multi-union strike that also affected its rivals, the New York Post and The New York Times. This was a watershed moment for the News, and the first cracks appeared in its previously impenetrable exterior. The resulting drop in readership was a major blow and contributed to the gradual decline of the newspaper.
In the 1980s, the Daily News was losing $1 million per month. In 1982, its parent company Tribune Company put the paper up for sale but was unable to find a buyer. Closing the newspaper was also considered, but the cost of paying severance to workers and pensions was prohibitive.
By 1996, the newspaper had fallen to less than half its peak circulation. In a bid to increase revenue and attract new readers, the Daily News began to focus on crime stories, and rebranded itself as “New York’s Top Crime Source.” The move proved successful and resulted in an increased readership. However, the emergence and popularity of online and mobile media in the early 21st century left no printed newspaper unscathed. In 2021, an anonymous Yale College alumnus made a gift in support of the Daily News Historical Archive project, which facilitated its migration to a new platform and expanded its content from 1996 to the present.
Today’s Front Pages
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