Founded in 1919, the Daily News quickly established itself as the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. By adopting a smaller format, featuring large photographs and illustrations, and targeting urban commuters with its sensational and titillating coverage of crime, scandal, and violence, the paper attracted readers by the millions. In the decades that followed, the Daily News grew even more prominent, eventually reaching its peak circulation in 1947 at nearly two million copies a day. In addition to its news and entertainment content, the paper also included popular columnists, reader contests, and cartoon strips.
Over the course of its long history, the Daily News has won numerous accolades, including 11 Pulitzer Prizes, and at one time boasted the highest circulation of any newspaper in the world. Today, the newspaper is known for its zesty headlines — perhaps most notably, “Ford to City: Drop Dead” during New York’s financial crisis of 1975 — gossip, local city coverage, and star columnists such as Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill.
In the 21st century, the Daily News has struggled to keep pace with the rapid changes in the newspaper industry, as readers have shifted to online news sources and advertising dollars have shifted away from print. In addition, the Daily News has faced competition from a muscular hometown rival, News Corp’s New York Post. Despite these challenges, the Daily News has been able to stay in business due to its commitment to local coverage and to its strong brand recognition among New York City residents.
A substantial gift from an anonymous Yale alumnus has allowed the Library to migrate the Yale Daily News Historical Archive to a more user-friendly platform, expand the collection to include issues from 1996 to the present, and ensure the project’s ongoing maintenance and preservation. We are grateful for this support.
The Yale Daily News E-dition offers users an interactive experience of the printed newspaper with a simple, yet powerful user interface and latest digital tools. It is available as a web app for desktop and mobile devices, or as a PDF. YDN is the oldest college daily newspaper and has produced many notable alumni, including William F. Buckley, Lan Samantha Chang, John Hersey, Joseph Lieberman, Sargent Shriver, Paul Steiger, and Strobe Talbott.