New York Daily News

• 1. Founding And Early Years

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  Joseph Medill Patterson launched the Illustrated Daily News on the 24th of June 1919. He and his cousin Robert R. McCormick had decided to create a new paper in Paris after clashing over editorial content at their Chicago Tribune. The venture began as an imitation of the British Daily Mirror. Initial circulation numbers were grim. By August 1919, just two months after launch, daily circulation dropped to 26,625 copies. Many New York subway commuters found the tabloid format easier to handle than broadsheets. Readership grew steadily despite early struggles. By June 1920, the first anniversary, circulation climbed over 100,000. A year later, it surpassed one million readers.

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• 2. Golden Age And Peak Circulation

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  The newspaper reached its highest point in 1947 with 2.4 million daily copies sold. Sunday editions hit 4.7 million that same year. This made it the eleventh-highest circulated newspaper in the United States during that era. The paper carried the slogan New York's Picture Newspaper from 1920 until 1991. A camera logo appeared on every front page from day one. Evelyn Straus became one of the first women staff photographers hired by the paper in 1942. News-gathering relied on two-way radios operating on frequency 173.3250 MHz. Reporters used a fleet of radio cars to communicate with the assignment desk. Sports coverage remained a key strength throughout these decades.

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• 3. Ownership Transitions And Strikes

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  Labor unrest struck the newsroom multiple times. A multi-union strike ran from August 10 to the 5th of November 1978, shutting down all three major New York City newspapers. No Daily News editions were printed during those months. Another strike occurred in October 1990 when the Allied Printing Trades Council organized workers. The paper almost went out of business again in 1982 and early 1990s due to financial crises. Robert Maxwell offered financial assistance in 1991 before his death later that year. James Willse led existing management through bankruptcy after buying the paper from Tribune Company. Mort Zuckerman purchased the tabloid in 1993. Tronc acquired the paper for $1 in September 2017 while assuming pension liabilities. Alden Global Capital bought Tribune Publishing in May 2021 and transferred ownership to Daily News Enterprises.

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• 4. Editorial Evolution And Stance

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  The newspaper shifted its political alignment over the last century. It endorsed Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, 1936, and 1940 but broke with him in 1941 over foreign policy. Conservative populism dominated from the 1940s through the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, the stance began shifting toward a flexibly centrist approach. During the 1990s, it gained a reputation as a moderately liberal alternative to the conservative New York Post. Recent endorsements include Republican George W. Bush in 2004 and Democrat Barack Obama in 2008. The paper also backed Mitt Romney in 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020. Journalist Alan Feuer described the focus as deep sourcing and doorstep reporting rather than partisan divides.

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• 5. Iconic Headquarters And Relocations

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  The paper operated out of the historic Art Deco building at 220 East 42nd Street from 1929 until 1995. Architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood designed the structure. A giant globe still sits in its lobby today. Operations moved to 450 West 33rd Street in 1995 before relocating again in June 2011 to 4 New York Plaza. Hurricane Sandy severely damaged that building in late 2012. News operations eventually settled at the Jersey City printing plant near Liberty State Park. In 1993, the Daily News consolidated printing facilities there. The company spent $150 million on new presses in 2009 for full-color photographs. Another $100 million was spent in 2011 to buy three new presses using state tax credits. Printing plans to close the Jersey City plant were announced for 2022.

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• 6. Pulitzer Prizes And Journalism Awards

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  Eleven Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to the newspaper over its history. Columnist Mike McAlary won the 1998 Commentary prize for a series about Abner Louima's torture by police officers. The editorial board won the 2007 Editorial Writing award for covering health issues among Ground Zero rescue workers. Their editorials detailed how more than 12,000 responders fell ill from toxins in the air. A 2017 Public Service prize recognized work uncovering widespread abuse of eviction rules by police. Reporter Sarah Ryley led much of that investigation alongside non-profit ProPublica. These awards highlighted the paper's crusades against municipal misconduct and service to working-class communities.

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• 7. Infamous Front Pages And Controversies

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  A reporter strapped a camera to his leg in 1928 to photograph Ruth Snyder's execution. The headline DEAD! appeared on the next day's front page. President Gerald Ford gave a speech denying federal aid to New York City on the 29th of October 1975. The Daily News printed FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD the following morning. This headline reportedly played a role in Ford losing the 1976 election. Another provocative cover showed Newt Gingrich as a baby with the headline Crybaby in November 1995. Ted Cruz faced a DROP DEAD, TED headline featuring the Statue of Liberty giving the middle finger in January 2016. Since 2018, the website has blocked internet users in the European Union due to data protection compliance issues.

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