A daily newspaper, issued each day and typically containing news, politics, business, entertainment, and sports. A daily news can also be a website, blog, or television show that reports on current events and trends in the world around us.
Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the Illustrated Daily News, the newspaper became the first in the United States to use the tabloid format and reached its peak circulation in 1947, at 2.4 million daily copies. It remained the eleventh highest circulated newspaper in the country until 1996, when it was overtaken by the New York Times. Its headquarters was in the famous art deco New York Daily News Building, originally designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood and later used as the model for the Daily Planet building in the Superman movies. The Daily News moved out of the building in 1995, but is still based in Manhattan.
Like many popular dailies of the time, the Daily News found abundant subject matter in political wrongdoing (the Teapot Dome scandal) and social intrigue (the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to the latter’s abdication). The paper was an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service and developed a large staff of photographers.
The Daily News’ commitment to fighting for New Yorkers’ interests also dictated a great deal of its mid-twentieth century news coverage; housing, transportation, and other quality-of-life issues were major areas of focus. The paper also devoted much attention to celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics, and a sports section.
Although it is hard to know if the Daily News actually influenced electoral outcomes or government policy, it certainly shaped and reinforced the worldview of its readership. The newspaper tapped into deep veins of populism and ethnonationalism that were powerful forces in American politics. Its attack on the Vietnam War, for example, blamed weak and effeminate elites for American weakness abroad. This echoed themes of racial hatred in the rhetoric of Frank Rizzo’s Detroiters, Kenneth Durr’s Baltimoreans, and others who favored “America First” policies after World War II.
The newspaper has continued to expand and develop its editorial views. It has a strong reputation for its legal battles to protect First Amendment rights and has won significant awards from journalism organizations. Its legal department has also become a leader in pursuing and winning civil rights cases. It has won important victories over the years, including forcing courts to unseal documents relating to pending death penalty cases and strengthening public access to family court records. It has also been instrumental in fighting for the freedom of journalists to publish anonymous material. In addition, it has a long-standing history of supporting liberal causes and candidates. In 1997 the Daily News began a monthly supplement called BET Weekend, which is published in association with Black Entertainment Television Inc. and is distributed nationally. It has been described as the most widely circulated African American newspaper in the United States.
