In 1919, Joseph Medill Patterson founded the Illustrated Daily News (later the New York Daily News) as the first tabloid newspaper in America. In its heyday the Daily News attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime, scandal and violence, lurid photographs, cartoons and other entertainment features. It had a large and loyal readership, and at its peak had the highest circulation of any newspaper in the world.
Today the paper still has a huge and loyal readership, but it has lost its position as the dominant newspaper in the city and is fighting for its very survival. The paper is primarily known for its aggressive, often sensationalistic reporting and its high-profile investigative journalism, but it also has intense city news coverage, celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics and a sports section. The News has a long-standing rivalry with its more conservative, but still well-read rival, the New York Post.
The News has a relatively high level of credibility, but it does not always get the facts straight. Its editorial stance has been described as “flexibly centrist” with a “high-minded if populist legacy”. It was a staunch supporter of isolationism in the early stages of the Second World War and in the 1960s and 1970s it had a reputation for conservative populism. By the 1990s it began shifting its stance toward the center, and by the 2000s had a reputation as a moderately liberal alternative to the right-wing Post.
In addition to the main newspaper, the Daily News publishes a variety of supplements and special issues throughout the year, including the Yale Daily News Magazine, the Game Day Issue, the Commencement Issue, the Yale-Harvard Issue and other special editions celebrating indigenous, Black, AAPI and Latinx communities in partnership with Yale’s cultural centers and affiliated student groups.
The newspaper is available on the Web site, in print form and through its mobile application. The Daily News offers a subscription option that includes access to an interactive version of the newspaper. The Digital Edition is a replica of the printed newspaper and contains many of the same articles as the full paper, plus an enhanced multimedia experience. It allows readers to see photos, videos and graphics alongside the traditional text. Users can also select the article they want to read, bookmark it, or send it to a friend. The Daily News also has a blog, the Daily Dish, that offers an array of news stories and commentary. In addition, the Daily News provides a variety of community and social media pages. The newspaper’s website also offers a video gallery.
