The Daily News
The Daily News, founded in 1919 and known for its large headlines, large photographs, and short articles, is a popular tabloid newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper is owned by tronc, the publishing operations of the Tribune Company, and its headquarters is located at 4 New York Plaza in Manhattan. The Daily News has a reputation for protecting the First Amendment, and it is also well known for its commitment to coverage of the city’s underprivileged citizens.
The newspaper has won two Pulitzer Prizes for Distinguished Commentary: in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s pieces on race and welfare, and in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s coverage of police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. The newspaper has also been praised for its commitment to covering issues of social justice, and it was the first major metropolitan paper to develop a fully electronic publishing system.
In addition to straight news and feature articles, the Daily News also publishes opinion pieces. Unlike the other two genres, which strive to be objective, opinion articles allow the writer to take a stance on a particular issue or debate and share that perspective with readers.
One of the best ways to teach students how to identify different types of news articles is to have them read a selection of different articles in small groups and then ask them to identify what type of article each one is (straight news, feature, or opinion). The guiding questions below provide a structure for this activity and can be used with any newspaper article you want your students to analyze.
During the 1920s, the Daily News became the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. It attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs, and cartoons. It was also a pioneer in photography, using the Associated Press wirephoto service early on and employing a staff of photographers.
At the same time, the Daily News was a staunch supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and its editorial policy reflected this affiliation. Its slogan was “The Eyes, the Ears, the Honest Voice of New York.” In 1975, the Daily News ran a front page story highlighting a speech by President Gerald Ford in which he threatened to veto a bailout for New York City. This event marked the beginning of a shift in the News’s political leanings toward a more moderate-to-liberal stance, which would be embraced by its subsequent slogan “The most New York you can get.”
During this time, the newspaper also began to expand its television and radio offerings. It launched WPIX in 1948, a TV station that bears its name, and it later acquired the call letters of an AM radio station that now carries the Daily News’s sports calls—”WFAN.” Using these resources, teachers can introduce students to the varied genres of the Daily News and help them understand how each type of article contributes to the overall mission of the newspaper.