Founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the Illustrated Daily News, the New York Daily News was America’s first successful tabloid newspaper. The paper attracted readers with sensational pictorial coverage, focusing on crime and scandal as well as lurid photographs, cartoons, and other entertainment features. Throughout the 1920s, the Daily News built up a huge circulation, surpassing the Times and competing with its rival, USA Today.

In the 1930s, the newspaper expanded its photographic coverage by becoming an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and developing a staff of photographers. By 1947, circulation reached its peak at 2.4 million copies per day.

The Daily News has also a long history of supporting liberal political candidates and issues. In particular, the newspaper has a strong anti-communist editorial position and has published many stories on civil rights, abortion, racial and ethnic relations, and women’s rights. The newspaper has also supported various social programs, including welfare and anti-poverty initiatives. The Daily News has received numerous awards for its editorials and investigative journalism, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for E.R. Shipp’s piece on the treatment of Abner Louima and a Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary in 1998 for Mike McAlary’s pieces on police brutality in New York City.

On October 30, 1975, the Daily News rolled out what would become its most famous headline: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD”. After President Gerald Ford delivered a speech the previous day vetoing a bankruptcy bailout for New York City, the newspaper’s front page featured an image of Mayor John Lindsay saying to the City, “drop dead.” The headline sparked outrage and led to the 1976 Democratic landslide victory in which Jimmy Carter defeated Ford.

Over the years, the Daily News has undergone a series of ownership changes. In 1993, the Daily News was acquired by billionaire Mort Zuckerman. He invested $60 million into color presses, allowing the newspaper to compete with USA Today in visual appeal, and positioned the Daily News as a serious tabloid. During the 1990s, the Daily News was profitable and in 1998 it surpassed USA Today in circulation.

Today, the Daily News is still owned by Mort Zuckerman and remains one of the most respected newspapers in the United States. The Daily News is headquartered in the historic art deco Daily News Building on 42nd Street and Second Avenue, an official New York City landmark designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood. The building is known for its giant globe and weather instruments in the lobby and was used as the model for the Daily Planet building in the first two Superman films. The News publishes Monday through Friday and serves the New York City metropolitan area. The News is a member of the New York Press Association and the Association of American Publishers. Its parent company is the Tribune Company of Chicago.