Daily News is America’s first tabloid newspaper, founded in 1919. Today it is owned by tronc, and is the ninth most widely circulated newspaper in the United States. The paper’s award-winning writers, columnists and opinion formers bring you the very best in national and local news, New York exclusives and politics. No one covers the Yankees, Mets and Giants like the Daily News!
Throughout its history, the Daily News has earned an unrivaled reputation for investigative journalism, fearless reporting and the kind of frankness that has made it famous. As early as 1929, the Daily News’ sensational pictorial coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs, and cartoons helped make it one of the fastest growing newspapers in the nation.
In the 1940s, the newspaper commissioned Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells to build its first free-standing building, which became known as the News Building. It is arguably the most iconic building in New York City, and has been credited with inspiring the design of the Daily Planet in the Superman franchise. The Daily News shifted its focus to more political coverage after this time, and it is regarded as having a liberal lean to its editorial stance.
By the 1970s, however, readership began to wane. This was partly due to a three-month-long strike that closed the newspaper for much of that period, but it also had to do with the rising popularity of the competing New York Times. The News tried to reposition itself in the market by shifting its tone and approach.
Under the leadership of new editor-in-chiefs (first Pete Hamill, then Debby Krenek), the Daily News focused more on local issues and developed a reputation for its social conscience and advocacy on behalf of the poor, downtrodden and disenfranchised. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s coverage of poverty, welfare and race issues in New York City, as well as in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s expose on police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima.
Despite this newfound success, the paper continued to be in dire financial straits. By 2017, circulation had halved, and tronc went on a firing spree, with editor-in-chief Jim Rich among those to be let go.
The Daily News has a strong record of accuracy, and publishes corrections when it makes mistakes. It has a liberal lean, and is often contrasted with the more conservative New York Post. Its motto is “The Eyes, the Ears, the Honest Voice of New York.” The News has also been known for its controversial and sometimes offensive headlines. During the Donald Trump presidential campaign, it harkened back to its roots by displaying a front page image of the Statue of Liberty giving the middle finger to Republican Senator Ted Cruz. This was perhaps the most notorious headline in its history. The Daily News has a large following on social media, with nearly 2 million followers on Facebook and 2.5 million on Twitter. It has an extensive online presence, including video and podcasts.