Founded in 1919, the Daily News was the first tabloid newspaper published in the United States. The paper became well known for its large headlines, big photographs and scandalous and titillating stories. It also featured reader contests and cartoon strips. The newspaper reached its peak in popularity and circulation during the Roaring Twenties. Its founder, Joseph Medill Patterson, was a former publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Daily News was co-owned by the Tribune Publishing Company, but its editorial policy and content were often at odds with that of the parent newspaper.
The newspaper’s success was largely due to its accessibility. It was smaller than its competitors and could be easily carried on the city’s subway system, where it gained a significant audience. The tabloid format and style also made it more affordable to produce. The News was able to capitalize on this growing audience of commuters and, by 1928, had reached a circulation of over 100,000.
Over the decades, the Daily News continued to grow in prominence and readership. It became an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service and employed a staff of photographers. The paper also established what would become New York’s fifth television station, WPIX. The Daily News also began to expand into the realm of entertainment and celebrity gossip.
Despite its many successes, the Daily News began to lose money in the late 1970s. In 1978, a strike by its employees left the paper with less than half its normal circulation. By the end of the decade, the newspaper was losing $1 million a month. In 1982, the Daily News was so far in debt that its parent company, the Tribune Publishing Company, put it up for sale. Although it was widely rumored that the newspaper would be closed entirely, a deal was finally reached whereby Tronc purchased the newspaper for one dollar.
In 1995, the Daily News moved from its home of 65 years, the News Building on 42nd Street near Second Avenue. The building, designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, is an official city landmark and was the model for the Daily Planet building in the first two Superman films. Today, the Daily News is located at 450 West 33rd Street, also known as 5 Manhattan West.
The Yale Daily News is the nation’s oldest college newspaper. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year and serves both the Yale community and the greater New Haven area. In addition to the daily newspaper, the News publishes a Friday supplement known as WKND and special issues including the Yale-Harvard game day issue and the Commencement and First Year issues. The News is financially and editorially independent of Yale. The News does not accept advertising from corporations or other entities that are in competition with its editorial content. In this way, the News is able to maintain its editorial integrity. In addition, the News sells some limited space for advertisements that do not compete with its content.