The Daily News is a tabloid newspaper published in New York City. Founded in 1919, it was the first successful tabloid in the United States and at its peak circulation of 2 million was one of the largest newspapers in the world. Throughout the 1920s it attracted readers with sensational pictorial coverage of crime, scandal and violence, lurid photographs, and cartoons and entertainment features. The paper also emphasized political wrongdoing such as the Teapot Dome Scandal and social intrigue such as the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. The Daily News was an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and developed a large staff of photographers.
During the Great Depression, the Daily News prospered with its enticing mixture of hard news and social commentary, establishing itself as the leading national paper in circulation. It was an especially popular newspaper on the subway system, where commuters appreciated its smaller size and ease of handling. During this period the Daily News became renowned for its photography, particularly its dramatic pictures of police and fire scenes. In 1934 the paper began a long association with the Associated Press and was an early adopter of color photography. The Daily News was also a leader in the use of new technology, including television, as a means of disseminating its news.
The newspaper’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in the 1980s. By the end of the decade it was losing $1 million a month, due to union demands for more money for workers. Closing the Daily News was considered, but it was determined that severance pay and pensions would cost in excess of $100 million. Eventually the Daily News was sold to controversial media mogul Robert Maxwell, who merged it with the Chicago Tribune Company in 1985 and changed its name to Tronc.
In 1993, in a bold attempt to revive the newspaper’s earnings potential, Zuckerman invested $60 million towards the purchase of color presses that enabled it to compete with USA Today, which had recently become the nation’s largest daily newspaper. The Daily News also made a major commitment to hard news coverage, hiring a number of veteran journalists and instituting tougher ethics rules for its reporters.
Yale Daily News has been the student newspaper at Yale since 1912. Many of its writers and editors have gone on to prominent careers in journalism, government, law, business and public service. The paper has also had an extensive history in the arts, featuring works by artists such as William F. Buckley, Lan Samantha Chang, John Hersey and many more. Yale Daily News is the oldest college newspaper in the country and its current roster of writers, columnists, and opinion formers continues to provide provocative and thoughtful analysis on a wide variety of topics.