New York Daily News, a tabloid newspaper, once had the largest circulation of any daily in the United States. With an average of 2.4 million copies sold a day, it reached a peak in 1947. But the paper has fallen into financial trouble for years. It was sold in 2017 to Tribune Publishing for one dollar, a mere fraction of its former value. As a result, the newsroom was cut in half. While the Daily News is now a digital-first, tabloid newspaper, its mission remains the same: to report on life in New York.
The Daily News has long provided strong local coverage. Throughout its history, it’s produced a roster of award-winning reporters. In 2017, the paper won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. However, the paper is also known for its sports section, prominent photographs of sports events, and celebrity gossip.
In addition to its main newsroom in New York, the Daily News has local bureaus in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Along with its newsprint edition, the Daily News also has a digital interactive edition, which is available to download on computers and mobile devices. Users can swipe through the newspaper’s pages, or share stories via email. This digital version is enhanced with interactive features and offers a more enticing sharing experience.
The Daily News has won a number of prestigious awards for its reporting, including a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Readers can enjoy the newspaper’s sports section, celebrity gossip, classified ads, and intense city news coverage. Moreover, the paper has won feature writing awards for its international reporting.
For many years, the Daily News was a staunchly Republican newspaper. The New York Times has described its editorial stance as “flexibly centrist.” When the paper was acquired by the new owner, Tronc, the new owners agreed to assume all of the paper’s liabilities. By the late 1970s, the Daily News began shifting. Although the newspaper still had its distinctive four-faced clock, its journalists were uncertain about where they would work next.
Fortunately, a new experiment in local journalism may offer some hope for the future of local newspapers. Death of the Daily News: What a Town Goes Through After the Paper Dies explains the tragedy of losing a local paper, while offering guidance on what the future could look like.
Author Andrew Conte approaches his subject with a deep understanding of the media landscape and with empathy. He lays out the various stages of grief, and gives a compelling picture of what a town goes through after its local newspaper dies. Ultimately, the book is a testament to the importance of local journalism, and to the power of a community’s voice.
Whether you’re a journalist or an ordinary citizen, Death of the Daily News provides insight into the complexities of losing a local news source. The book argues that while technology has created a huge disruption to the journalism industry, it’s also creating new ways for citizens to discover local news.