Daily news is a newspaper with a large circulation founded in 1919 as the Illustrated Daily News. It became the first successful tabloid in America, drawing readers with sensational pictorial coverage of crime, scandal and violence, lurid photographs, and cartoons. By the middle of the Roaring Twenties, it was the largest newspaper in the United States.
By the late 20th century, the Daily News had carved out a distinct reputation as a champion of New York City’s citizens, especially those who were perceived as having no voice in the media or government. In 1996 and 1998, it won Pulitzer Prizes for Distinguished Commentary for E.R. Shipp’s pieces on race and social justice, and Mike McAlary’s story about the beating of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima by police officers.
In the early 21st century, however, no print newspaper came away unscathed from the onset of online news and social media. The ubiquity of the Internet made it harder for a single newspaper to retain and build its readership, and as more people opted for digital content over hard copy, newspapers began to decline.
The Daily News continued to thrive for a time, but it could not regain the market share it had enjoyed during its golden age in the late 1950s and 1960s. Even as the paper competed with its rival tabloids for the attention of New York City residents, it also built up its own television and radio stations. By the early 1980s, it was one of the city’s top three sellers of papers, with a circulation surpassing that of its two major competitors, the New York Post and the New York Times.
Ultimately, the Daily News was plagued by financial woes that ultimately led to a five-month strike in 1990. The Tribune Company hired non-union replacement workers to keep the paper publishing, but this cost-cutting measure was a costly mistake. By the end of the year, labor costs had swallowed 44 percent of the newspaper’s revenue—a substantial contribution to its $115 million loss since the beginning of the 1980s.
In 2017, the Daily News saw its circulation halve, and in September it was announced that its former owners (at the time temporarily renamed Tronc) had purchased the paper for just a dollar. After the purchase, Tronc went on a firing spree, cutting half of the newspaper’s editorial staff.
For IAS aspirants, it is important to read quality current affairs books that provide a consolidated view of high-yield topics and help you understand the nuances behind various issues. Additionally, it is advisable to participate in daily current affairs quizzes that test your knowledge and improve retention. Lastly, invest in programs like the Daily Newspaper Analysis Batch for UPSC to improve your understanding of various contemporary issues that will be asked in the Civil Services Exam. This will ensure that you have the right knowledge and understanding of the subjects tested in the exam. So, get started today!