Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the Illustrated Daily News, the Daily News was the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States and soon established itself as one of the nation’s largest papers. The Daily News is known for its bold journalism, commitment to New York City, engaging storytelling, strong visual content and a robust digital presence. Dedicated to serving its community, the Daily News is a trusted source for breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment and celebrity gossip.
The Daily News has long been a staunch supporter of the rights and interests of its community, including its ethnic minorities, women, and children. The paper is a champion of the First Amendment and has been awarded many Pulitzer Prizes for editorials and investigative reporting, particularly in the areas of social justice, AIDS research, and police brutality. It is also a leading voice on ballot measure issues and has been credited with changing the national discussion of gun control.
At its peak, the newspaper was a national leader in print distribution and had a circulation of over 200,000 copies a day. The Daily News was also an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service and employed a large staff of photographers. In 1947, the Daily News reached its highest readership with a total of 2.4 million daily readers and 4.7 million on Sundays. It was a brassy, pictorial newspaper, which Time magazine called “the best-written and most colorful of all the metropolitan dailies.” Its headquarters at 220 East 42nd Street in Manhattan (later 5 Manhattan West) is an official New York City landmark designed by architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood.
In the 1970s, The Daily News was renowned for its hard-hitting headlines such as “Ford to City: Drop Dead” in 1975 following Ford’s veto of a city bankruptcy bailout. It was at this point that the newspaper began to change its political affiliation from a steadfastly Republican position to a moderate-to-liberal stance.
Today, the Daily News is headquartered at 4 New York Plaza in Lower Manhattan. It is owned by tronc, the publishing operations of the former Tribune Company, and has a daily circulation of about 200,000 copies. The newspaper’s editorial stance is often compared to the more conservative New York Post. The Daily News is a major source for sports news, particularly the New York Yankees, Mets and Giants, as well as entertainment and fashion news. In addition, the Daily News is known for its New York City exclusives. Whether it is a heartwarming story of an inspiring individual or breaking world news, the Daily News brings you the most compelling stories from the most diverse and vibrant city in the country. It is the most readable, comprehensive and innovative local news and information resource in the nation. With the Daily News, you’ll get a glimpse of the most exciting and unique people, places and events that make New York City the greatest city in the world.