The Yale Daily News is the nation’s oldest college newspaper, founded in 1878. The News is financially and editorially independent, and publishes Monday through Friday during the academic year. It serves the Yale and New Haven communities, and publishes a number of special issues including the Game Day Issue, Commencement Issue, First Year Issue and others. The News has a strong commitment to diversity, and it works closely with campus cultural centers and affiliated student groups.
During its heyday in the 1920s, when it was the largest tabloid newspaper in the world, the Daily News used sensational pictorial coverage of crime and scandal to draw readers. It also highlighted social intrigue such as the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, which led to the latter’s abdication. It pushed for public disclosure of government wrongdoing, and it was an early adopter of the Associated Press wirephoto service. The News also emphasized entertainment, publishing lurid photographs of crime and scandal and featuring many cartoons. The paper had a reputation for being the most daring of the city dailies, and it was known for its willingness to go to any lengths in order to get the front page story.
By the 1990s, however, the Daily News had begun to suffer from declining circulation and financial troubles. The Tribune Company attempted to cut costs by reducing staff, and the newspaper’s unions went on strike. The 147-day strike was devastating to the business, and the Daily News lost $70 million in the fourth quarter alone.
In 1993, the News was purchased by publisher Mort Zuckerman for $60 million. He set out to revitalize the paper, investing $60 million in color presses to give it a more competitive edge with USA Today. He also hired a young reporter named James Wolron to spearhead an aggressive and more serious editorial direction. In addition to refocusing the newspaper’s editorial mission, Zuckerman began launching successful specialty inserts, such as BET Weekend and Caribbean Week.
While the Daily News made a modest comeback during the 2000s, it continued to struggle with digital competition and declining print advertising revenue. In 2017, its circulation halved and the paper was sold to Tronc, a Chicago-based media company, for one dollar.
Since then, the News has seen its profits decline further. In 2022, the paper reported a loss of $225 million and its weekly and Sunday print circulation was down 13% and 16% respectively from the previous year. In contrast, online news consumption increased by 21%. The News is focusing on regaining market share in the crowded world of digital news, and has rolled out several digital subscription initiatives. It also has a commitment to local news and has hired hundreds of people in the past decade. In addition, the paper has a long history of covering political events in the New York City area. The News has a reputation for being outspoken and outraged, which has often led to criticism from politicians and the public alike.