The Daily News – The Eyes, The Ears, The Honest Voice Of New York
For over 100 years, Daily News has been New York’s leading newspaper. We scour 100+ sources so you don’t have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business and more–all in a five minute read. Join our community of 3.5 million readers today. 100% free, unsubscribe anytime.
The Daily News was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, a former publisher of the Chicago Tribune who decided to launch his own newspaper after disagreements with his co-publisher. As the first U.S. daily to be printed in tabloid format, the Daily News quickly gained popularity, reaching a circulation peak of nearly 2 million copies in 1947.
During the 1920s, the Daily News focused on sensational pictorial coverage, and developed a large staff of photographers. It was also an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service, and was one of the first metropolitan newspapers to feature photography on the front page. The Daily News’ front pages of the time are legendary, and the newspaper would continue to push the boundaries in terms of front-page headlines—in 1928, for example, the Daily News commissioned photographer Tom Howard to strap a hidden camera to his leg during the electric chair execution of Ruth Snyder, resulting in an infamous image of her mid-electrocution that ran with the headline “DEAD!”
In the late 1990s, under the editorial leadership of first Pete Hamill and later Debby Krenek, the Daily News began to develop a reputation for its commitment to social justice and public service. The paper won a Pulitzer Prize 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 also cultivated a more centrist political stance, and promoted itself as “The eyes, the ears, the honest voice of New York”.
In 1993, the Daily News was purchased by Mort Zuckerman, owner of The Atlantic, in an attempt to reposition it as a serious tabloid. Zuckerman made several big changes to the paper, including investing $60 million in color presses, which enabled the Daily News to match the visual quality of USA Today.
Each Daily News article is accompanied by “Comprehension Questions” and “Resources” (including video clips, maps and links). These questions are designed to help students understand the key information in each story. You can access these questions through your Account Management page or by adding the link to your eNewspaper to your mobile device home screen. If you have a subscription, you will receive a daily email reminder of the availability of these resources. You can also find these questions on the eNewspaper after 5:30am each day. If you do not have a subscription, these questions will be available through the website only. Each day we feature front pages from newspapers across the United States and many nations worldwide. Click on any image to open the full-size version in your browser, download a high-resolution PDF or visit the newspaper’s website.