Death of the Daily News

daily news

The Daily News is an American newspaper published in tabloid format and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is one of the most widely distributed newspapers in the United States, with the highest circulation of any newspaper in the country in its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. The paper is well known for its sensational and investigative reporting, celebrity gossip, comics, and a sports section. It has also been a newspaper of record on national and international events.

In Death of the Daily News, Andrew Conte explores what happens when local news dies in a community—a troubling story playing out all across America as newspaper closings create “news deserts.” Using a case study approach, he examines how residents of McKeesport, Pennsylvania struggled to make sense of their community after their local newspaper closed in 2015. By exploring this specific example, Conte provides clues about the future of journalism and a roadmap to the way forward.

Local newspapers are disappearing at a rapid pace, leaving vast areas without traditional, reliable, in-depth news coverage—known as “news deserts.” While this is the most common outcome, it’s not the only way that local news is dying. As technology disrupts the industry, it throws thousands of journalists out of work and closes newsrooms. The societal consequences are profound. Conte, a longtime journalist and former editor of the Hartford Courant, tells this disturbing story with empathy and insight.

Founded in 1878, the Yale Daily News is the nation’s oldest college daily newspaper. The Daily News Historical Archive contains digitized versions of the newspaper’s printed issues and is open to the world. The archive is free to access and searchable through a web interface. The Yale Daily News is currently printed every weekday during the academic year, covering news from Yale and around the world. In addition, the newspaper publishes special issues each semester including a Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue and a Commencement Issue.

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