Daily News, also known as The New York Daily News and once as the New York Daily News-News of the World (the latter name is still used in some print editions), is an American newspaper founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson. It is the first newspaper printed in tabloid format and at its peak circulation was the eleventh most circulated daily in the United States.

The Daily News found abundant subject matter, from political wrongdoing like the Teapot Dome scandal to social intrigue such as Wallis Simpson’s romance with King Edward VIII that led to his abdication. It was an early user of Associated Press wirephoto service and developed a large staff of photographers.

By the 1930s, with the success of its sensational pictorial coverage and willingness to go further than its competitors in pursuit of an attention-grabbing front page, the Daily News was the dominant tabloid newspaper in the United States. This was never more evident than on January 12, 1928 when it published a photograph of Ruth Snyder mid-electrocution, an image that grabbed the public’s imagination and set the tone for its sensational style.

In the late twentieth century, the Daily News began to lose ground to its more sophisticated rivals, especially USA Today. The paper’s owner, Mortimer Zuckerman, made several big changes in an attempt to rediscover the Daily News’ earning potential. He installed color presses and repositioned the News as a “serious tabloid.” The strategy seemed to work and by 1994 the News was once again profitable.

The emergence of the internet and online news in the early twenty-first century took its toll on all traditional print newspapers, including the Daily News. By 2016 the News had lost half a million subscribers and was no longer one of the city’s most-read media outlets. However, the enormous interest in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign offered the News an opportunity to reclaim its past glory and once again become the New York City’s most-read tabloid. In the ensuing years, the News has continued to reposition itself as a serious news outlet while maintaining its signature mix of high-profile national and local news, celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics, an intense city news section, sports, and an opinion section. It has also expanded its presence in digital media with the introduction of its weekly BET Weekend insert for African Americans and its website in 1996. It moved out of its historic home, the News Building, at 220 East 42nd Street near Second Avenue in 1995 but its former building still stands and now houses WPIX-TV. It is an official city and national landmark designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood. Its lobby is famous for its giant globe and served as the model for the Daily Planet in the first two Superman films. Each article features comprehension and critical thinking questions, as well as “Background” and “Resources” sections to give students a deeper understanding of the story.