Founded in 1919, Daily News is the first newspaper in the United States printed in tabloid format and reached its peak circulation in 1947 at 2.4 million daily copies. The Daily News is best known for its front page coverage of infamous scandals and social intrigue, including the Teapot Dome Scandal and Wallis Simpson’s romance with King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. The paper was also a pioneer in photojournalism, utilizing the Associated Press wirephoto service and developing its own large staff of photographers. The News is a founding member of the United Press Association and its successor, the International Press Institute.
Each Daily News article includes comprehension and critical thinking questions found below the main story as well as “Background” and “Resources” (including video clips, maps and links) that will help students better understand the news of the day. We encourage teachers to use these additional resources to further develop their students’ knowledge of the topic and build upon the information provided in each article.
Local News
Local news stories are a great way to provide your students with a sense of community, and are often about things that your students can relate to on a personal level. This could include local sports teams, city or county government, school boards and/or schools within your district. Local news stories can also be a great opportunity to get your students writing and interviewing. Ask students to interview a teacher, coach, student athlete or a local business owner, for example.
In the 1980s, the Daily News began to lose money as it yielded to union demands on rules, jobs and overtime pay. Eventually, the newspaper was losing $1 million a month. By 1982, the Daily News was on the verge of bankruptcy. At that point, Maxwell’s widow offered the newspaper for sale, but it was ultimately purchased by Tribune Company — which would later be rebranded as Tronc — for a dollar. As part of the deal, the newspaper fired a number of employees, reducing its workforce to just 45 people in the News Building.