The New York Daily News is a metropolitan tabloid newspaper located in Manhattan, New York. It has long been the largest-circulation daily newspaper in the United States, though it has lost some market share in recent years to smaller rivals. The paper is notable for its strong emphasis on local and state politics, New York City news and events, celebrity gossip, and sports coverage. The Daily News is also known for its Pulitzer Prize-winning editorials, particularly on social issues and race relations in the city.
In the 1920s, the News emphasized political wrongdoing, such as the Teapot Dome scandal and the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. It was an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service and built a large staff of photographers. The News also emphasized photojournalism in its coverage of the 1928 New York Stock Exchange crash, which was photographed by a News photographer.
By the 1980s, the Daily News was losing a million dollars per month and had lost market share to competitors. The paper was also saddled with expensive union contracts and high salaries for its top journalists. Attempts to cut costs and close the paper were complicated by severance pay and pension obligations for the staff.
In 1985, the Daily News re-launched itself as a tabloid, and hired a new editor-in-chief to focus on cutting costs, reestablishing profitability, and attracting younger readers. The effort paid off; by the 1990s, the Daily News was profitable again and had regained its market share.
Despite its reputation as a staunchly Republican publication, the News began to develop a liberal and often critical editorial stance in the mid-to-late 1990s. It also developed a reputation for protecting the First Amendment and the rights of those who were perceived to be voiceless in the city, including its many immigrant communities.
After the newspaper was sold in 2022, the new owner shifted its priorities away from local and state politics, in favor of national and international stories. It also focused on building its digital presence. The Daily News website offers a variety of content, from live streaming of political events to its award-winning investigative journalism and extensive New York City news coverage to celebrity gossip, classified ads, and comics.
The Daily News also publishes a weekly Friday supplement called WKND, and several special issue publications throughout the year, including the Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue, Commencement Issue, and the First Year Issue. In addition, the News is the nation’s oldest college daily and publishes a Monday-through-Friday edition during the academic year in collaboration with Yale’s cultural centers and affiliated student groups.
This report was prepared by research assistants Sarah Naseer and Christopher St. Aubin, with assistance from the Pew Research Center’s News & Media Project. It is part of an ongoing project to explore the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. This report was originally published in December 2022.