Daily News is a daily morning tabloid newspaper published in New York City. Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, it was the first successful tabloid in the United States and for many decades had the highest circulation of any newspaper in America. It attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime and scandal, lurid photographs, cartoons, and other entertainment features. Its headquarters were in the historic art deco Daily News building at 42nd Street and Second Avenue. In addition to its main edition, the paper also published a national insert called BET Weekend in partnership with Black Entertainment Television Inc. that was distributed in 15 markets.
The paper is owned by Tronc, a Chicago-based media company. Its staff is mostly made up of longtime employees who have worked at the paper since its founding. It is known for its investigative journalism, and it is a leader in coverage of the city’s most violent crimes and political corruption.
It was a popular newspaper in the 1920s, attracting readers with sensational coverage of crime and scandal. It emphasized political wrongdoing such as the Teapot Dome scandal and social intrigue such as the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. It also emphasized photography; it was an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and built a large staff of photographers. The paper also attracted readers with celebrity gossip and classified ads, as well as a sports section and a daily comics page.
In the 1930s, it became one of the most widely read newspapers in the world. Its circulation peaked at 2.4 million copies a day, putting it ahead of the competing tabloids, Newsday and the New York Post. Its editorial focus was primarily local and its motto was “The most New York you can get.”
Under the ownership of home towners Mortimer Zuckerman and Philip Drasner, it began to turn a profit. Its costs were reduced by lower labor and rent expenses, and it increased its advertising revenues. Its editorial quality improved as it restored and expanded sections covering borough politics, parenting, immigration news, and entertainment and lifestyle coverage. Its new slogan was “The Daily News is the most New York newspaper you can buy.”
In September 1997 it began printing its weekday and Sunday editions in color on Goss Newsliner presses. These were the first color presses in a New York tabloid and gave it the ability to compete with Newsday and the Post. However, the paper soon dropped its use of color, and the Sunday and national editions reverted to black and white. In March 1998, it moved its production from the original downtown location to a new $150 million plant in Jersey City, New Jersey. This facility enabled it to use four-color presses and to compete with USA Today and other color dailies. Its revenue in 1997 was $177 million from circulation and $200 million from advertising.