In 1919, Joseph Medill Patterson founded the Daily News as a bold, pictorial tabloid newspaper that focused on New York City and its people. Today the paper is known for its commitment to the city, investigative journalism, engaging storytelling and robust digital presence. Currently owned by Tribune Publishing, the Daily News delivers breaking news and in-depth investigations, politics, sports, celebrity and fashion, entertainment and culture, trends and community news to its readers. The newspaper’s name and reputation for not shying away from controversial stories and bold reporting has made it the most read daily in the New York metropolitan area.

The Daily News was one of the most influential newspapers in the United States throughout much of the 20th century, boasting the nation’s largest circulation by the end of World War II. The brassy, pictorial tabloid found abundant subject matter during this time, focusing on 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 devoted significant attention to photography; the newspaper was an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service in the 1930s and built up a large staff of photographers.

In the late 1990s, under a series of editors-in-chief (first Pete Hamill, then Debby Krenek) the Daily News developed a reputation for protecting the First Amendment and the rights of New York City residents perceived to have been neglected by the government. The paper won a Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s pieces on race and welfare and another in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s coverage of police brutality against Haitian immigrant Abner Louima.

Despite these successes, however, the Daily News was losing money. The newspaper had been giving in to union demands on rules, job numbers and overtime pay for years. By the time the 1980s rolled around, it was costing the newspaper $115 million a year—more than twice what it took in subscription revenue.

The newspaper was able to survive its financial crisis for the most part by reducing costs through the hiring of non-union workers. But the strategy proved to be short-lived, and the tabloid’s readership dwindled. By 2017, the newspaper had halved its circulation and in September that same year, it was sold to a group of investors including the former owners of the Tribune Company (at that point temporarily renamed Tronc) for the astounding price of just one dollar. In 2018, the Daily News was relaunched with a revamped look and style, giving Republican Senator Ted Cruz the middle finger through the Statue of Liberty’s hand and rehashing its most famous headline from decades ago: “TRUMP TO WORLD: DROP DEAD!”. Subscribers to the Daily News largely welcomed this return to boldness and controversy. The paper has since climbed back to its old heights of readership and notoriety.