Daily News is an American tabloid newspaper published by the New York Times Company in New York City. Founded in 1919, the paper was the first successful tabloid in the United States. The paper attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime and violence, lurid photographs, and cartoons. The News was the largest circulation newspaper in the country until it fell behind a number of other mass-circulation publications in the 1960s. It was a major contributor to the rise of post-World War II American conservatism, espousing a reactionary populism that was further to the right than National Review and binding its readers into a community of anti-elitist white working-class identity.
During the 1940s and early 1950s, Daily News editors promoted an America First philosophy in its editorial pages and frequently faulted “soft” or “effete” elites for being too generous to undeserving foreigners. The News also backed the nationalist cause of limiting immigration to favored groups such as European Americans and Asians.
Its commitment to fighting for New Yorkers’ interests also dictated much of its news coverage in the mid-twentieth century. Residents wanted affordable rent, a reliable subway system, and clean streets; the News advocated for those goals while adding conservative twists, such as easing restrictions on development, turning police investigations into witch hunts, and inviting private enterprise to provide some city services (while urging that the government raise taxes less).
The News’s position on these issues was often reinforced by its readers. In the late 1950s, for example, one letter applauded a lynching while another urged New York City to reject affirmative action in government hiring, saying jobs should not be earmarked for blacks unless there were similar jobs earmarked for whites.
As well, the News was a major force in the movement to restrict civil rights for African Americans. In the late 1960s, for example, it pushed back against a state law that allowed African Americans to own property. The News’s editors argued that the law violated the Constitution, and it was eventually overturned.
The News is currently owned by Tronc, a media conglomerate that owns several other newspapers and television and radio stations in addition to the Times. As part of the deal to purchase the newspaper, Tronc assumed the News’s pension liability, a printing plant in Jersey City, and ownership of a 25-acre property overlooking Manhattan where the News’s headquarters was located. It is unclear whether the News will continue to publish under its current name. Each article in the Daily News features comprehension and critical thinking questions that are designed to help students understand what they read. These questions are found below each article and include “Background” and “Resources” sections that can help explain or expand on what was written in the article. Teachers can sign up to receive the questions in their email inbox each day. This resource is provided for free, however it is available to all users of the Daily News online. The questions are also available in a Printable version for your convenience.