A daily newspaper that covers national and international news. It may focus on politics and government, business and finance, crime, weather, health and medicine, science and technology, sports, or a combination of these topics. Often, the paper contains comics and entertainment articles, as well. Newspapers typically have a regular section called “opinion” in which the editorial staff expresses their viewpoint on the day’s events. A columnist is a journalist who writes regular pieces recounting their own experiences and opinions. Journalists who report facts and provide information may be called reporters, while those who write longer, less fact-oriented articles are referred to as feature writers. Photographers and graphic artists may also work on a newspaper.
A newspaper is usually published at periodic intervals, usually on a daily or weekly basis. This allows the newspaper to quickly respond to developing news stories and events as they occur. Newspapers often have a large staff of journalists who cover specific areas, such as political or economic news. They may have a number of freelance journalists who provide coverage for specialized or regional subjects.
The newspaper business has shifted away from printed copies to electronic delivery methods and social media. This has resulted in a reduction in the size of the workforce, as well as a decline in revenue from sales at newsstands. The New York Daily News, owned by the Tribune Publishing company, was once one of the largest-circulation newspapers in the country, with a circulation surpassing 2 million. It attracted readers with sensational coverage of crime, scandal, and violence, lurid photographs, and cartoons. In its heyday, the Daily News competed with the more conservative New York Post and other tabloids for readership, but by the 21st century was struggling financially.
Founded in 1919 as the Illustrated Daily News, it became the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States, and was the first to gain mass appeal. It attracted readers with sensational coverage and lurid photographs, and it was the first newspaper to publish comics. By the 1930s, the Daily News was a national leader in circulation.
In the past, the Daily News maintained local offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and shared offices at City Hall and One Police Plaza with other New York news outlets. It also had a radio station, WPIX, which was named for its newspaper call letters and later became the New York City affiliate of CBS Radio. The Daily News Building, designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, was a prominent landmark on 42nd Street near Second Avenue.
The Yale Daily News Historical Archive offers access to digitized issues of the newspaper dating back to its founding on January 28, 1878. It is the oldest college newspaper in the United States. The YDN archives include contributions by famous alumni, including William F. Buckley, Lan Samantha Chang, John Hersey, Sargent Shriver, and Strobe Talbott, who have gone on to have distinguished careers in journalism and public life.