Founded in 1919, the New York Daily News was the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. The newspaper was known for sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs and comics and other entertainment features. The Daily News was often the leading newspaper in metropolitan New York City. In addition to its regular news and feature departments, the Daily News included an extensive classified ad section, a city and suburban events calendar and a variety of local and national sports coverage.
During its heyday in the 1920s, the Daily News was one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the world. Its popularity grew through its coverage of social intrigue, political wrongdoing, and scandalous celebrity gossip such as the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. The newspaper also attracted readers with its use of Associated Press wirephotos, and it employed a large staff of photographers.
Today, the Daily News is the ninth most widely read newspaper in the United States. It is owned by tronc, the publishing division of Tribune Company, and operates its headquarters in Manhattan. Its editorial stance is considered liberal with a strong leaning towards progressive or left-wing thought. The Daily News has a high AllSides Media Bias Rating of Left, which indicates that it is biased in favor of liberal ideas and policies.
The News has a history of being highly influential in New York City politics, particularly during the early 20th century when it supported isolationism and was pro-American in its editorial tone. From the 1940s through the 1960s, the News shifted to a conservative populist position, and in the 1990s it gained a reputation as a moderately liberal alternative to the right-wing New York Post.
The newspaper was a major player in the development of American comics, and many famous artists began their careers with the Daily News. The paper was also influential in the shaping of popular culture, such as music and fashion. In addition to its regular print edition, the Daily News has a digital edition, which is free of charge and aimed at the millennial audience.
The newspaper has a long-standing relationship with Yale University. In 2021, an anonymous Yale College alumnus made a significant gift to support the maintenance and expansion of the Daily News Historical Archive. The generous donation facilitated the migration of the archive to a new platform and enables ongoing work on the digitization of issues from the early years of the newspaper. The Daily News Historical Archive is accessible to students, teachers and researchers worldwide. The Archive has been extensively used by students in the United States and around the world to learn about the complexities of journalistic ethics, the evolution of the tabloid format and the role of the press in the early twentieth century. In addition, it has served as a model for digital archives of other historic newspapers and other primary sources. In addition, the Archive has been used as a tool to teach students about civics and government.