Daily news is a type of journalism that consists of current events that occur in the world. It is often written in a concise manner that gets to the point. Some of the main topics include political issues, business and finance, crime, and sports. In addition, the newspaper includes pictures to accompany the stories. This form of media has a long history in the United States and is still a staple for many people.
In 1919, Joseph Medill Patterson founded the Daily News in New York City. The paper was a sensational and pictorial tabloid that quickly established itself as one of the nation’s top selling newspapers. The News was also an early adopter of Associated Press wirephoto service and employed a large staff of photographers. The newspaper also included celebrity gossip, classified ads, and comics.
By the mid-20th century, Daily News circulation had hit a record high. Its brassy, pictorial style was a major factor in its success. In 1928, the Daily News went a step further in its coverage of sensational events when a reporter strapped a small camera to his leg and photographed Ruth Snyder being executed in the electric chair. The next day’s newspaper featured a photograph of Snyder mid-electrocution and the headline “DEAD!”
As time went by, the News lost some of its edge in terms of style and content. But it continued to make money, thanks in part to its unionized workforce and its willingness to go one step further than its competitors in order to grab the public’s attention.
In the 1980s, however, the News started to see a decline in its fortunes. Its labor costs were eating up too much of its profits. By the time the 1980s came to a close, the News was operating at a loss of a million dollars a month.
Throughout the decade, the newspaper’s management, led by editor-cum-interim publisher James Willse, attempted to keep the Daily News afloat. A bidding war between The Atlantic owner Mort Zuckerman and the publisher of Chicago Sun-Times and Britain’s Daily Telegraph, Conrad Black, ended with the News being sold to Zuckerman for $36 million.
During the 1990s, the News made an effort to reestablish its reputation as a champion of the First Amendment and the rights of the residents of New York City, particularly those perceived to be without a voice. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s piece on race and welfare, and again in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s story of police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. The News also developed a reputation for aggressively covering police misconduct and other matters of public concern, which won it acclaim from readers and critics alike.
