Founded in 1919, the New York Daily News was the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. The Daily News attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs and other entertainment features. It also emphasized local news, and was locked in a circulation battle with its rival, the New York Post.
From the archives: The Daily News was founded in 1919 as the Illustrated Daily News by Joseph Medill Patterson. The paper changed its name to the Daily News in 1928 and grew to become one of the most widely read newspapers in the United States.
By the 1930s, the Daily News had a daily circulation of 2.4 million copies and was ranked as the eleventh largest newspaper in the world. At its height, the Daily News employed more than 2,400 journalists and had offices in all five boroughs of New York City.
At the turn of the 20th century, the News dominated the New York media scene and was widely regarded as the most influential newspaper in the country. The News remained competitive with its even more sensational competitor, the New York Post, until both papers began to decline in circulation toward the end of the decade.
Until 1995, the Daily News was located in 220 East 42nd Street near Second Avenue, an official city and national landmark designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood that was later used as the model for the Daily Planet building of the first two Superman films. The newspaper moved to 450 West 33rd Street (also known as Manhattan West) in 1995, but the 42nd Street location remains a familiar site, since the former News subsidiary television station WPIX-TV, which is now owned by Tribune Company, continues to be housed there.
Daily News articles include intense city news coverage, celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics and a sports section. The newspaper’s award-winning writers, columnists and opinion formers provide top news stories from the world’s greatest city, as well as political commentary and analysis. The Daily News is also the only newspaper that covers New York City’s Yankees, Mets and Giants.
Each Daily News article includes comprehension and critical thinking questions, found underneath the headline, to help students understand the news story better. Also included are “Background” and “Resources” sections that provide additional information and links to related content to give students a more complete picture of the topic.