The Daily News
Daily News is a morning tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The newspaper was founded in 1919, and was the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid format. The paper was once one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the country. Today, it is owned by tronc (formerly Tribune Company), and is headquartered at 4 New York Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The paper is known for its sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs, and cartoons. It also has a large number of political and entertainment columns.
The Daily News has won eleven Pulitzer Prizes. The newspaper has a strong local focus, with an emphasis on New York City politics and celebrities, as well as national and international news. Its sports section covers the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Jets. Its editorial stance is described by the New York Times as “flexibly centrist” with a “high-minded, if populist, legacy.” In recent years the Daily News has exhibited a more moderate to liberal bias, which it often contrasts with its conservative competitor the New York Post.
As the world’s first metropolitan newspaper, the Daily News has been at the forefront of investigative journalism for over a century. Its reporters have uncovered and exposed corrupt officials, criminal activities of the military, police and other public institutions, and many cases of organized crime. The newspaper has been responsible for breaking many significant news stories, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the attempted assassination of President Lyndon Johnson, and many other events in American history.
In addition to its reporting, the Daily News has played an important role in shaping public opinion. In the 20th century, it was a major force behind the civil rights movement and was a strong supporter of the antiwar movement. It was a proponent of nuclear disarmament, and was an early champion of women’s suffrage and gay rights.
The newspaper’s front page headline on October 29, 1975, when President Gerald Ford denied federal assistance to save New York City from bankruptcy, read: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD!” It is considered to have played an important part in influencing public opinion against the president, and may have contributed to his losing the 1976 presidential election.
During its early days, the Daily News was housed in 220 East 42nd Street in Manhattan. This building is a historic landmark and served as the model for the Daily Planet in the first two Superman films. It is now home to WPIX-TV, which still carries the News’s call letters.
The Yale Daily News Historical Archive was made possible by an anonymous gift from a Yale College alumnus in 2021. The donation facilitated the migration to a more user-friendly platform, expanded its coverage back to 1996, and ensures the archive’s ongoing maintenance and preservation. For more information, visit the About the Archive page. The archive is free to use, but we welcome donations to support its continuing operations. Donations are used to pay for hosting, database maintenance, and to acquire additional issues for the collection.