The Daily News was once one of the country’s most influential newspapers. Its 20th-century heyday was as a brawny metro tabloid that excelled at crime coverage and served as a model for The Daily Planet (the newspaper depicted in the 1994 movie “Superman”) and a host of other titles. During that time, the paper won many awards for commentary, feature writing and international reporting. Yet in recent years, The Daily News has struggled to find a new business model as it has seen its print and online subscriptions decline.
In the past decade, it has lost more than half its readers and has suffered through several rounds of layoffs. As a result, its current owners have decided to close the paper’s headquarters in downtown Manhattan. On Oct. 30, the staff received an email that the newsroom—which still has its distinctive four-faced clock atop the building and straddles Sixth Street and Linden Avenue—had been formally closed. It’s the latest in a series of closures across the company, which is owned by Tribune Publishing. Other papers have been sold to other publishers and some have even closed altogether, including the Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the Orlando Sentinel.
When The Daily News was founded in 1878, it became the nation’s first college daily newspaper and has remained editorially independent since its founding. The News publishes Monday through Friday during the academic year, in addition to special issues, such as the Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue and the Commencement and First Year Issues. In the fall of 2020, the News also began a new initiative, partnering with Yale’s cultural centers and affiliated student groups to publish special editions dedicated to those communities.
The Yale Daily News also serves the local community of New Haven and is supported by the College’s endowment, alumni donations and advertising revenue. As part of its mission to serve as a community resource, the News features news from local sources as well as relevant national and international stories that impact Yale and the world around us.
Each Daily News article features comprehension and critical thinking questions at the bottom of the page, as well as “Background” and “Resources” for further exploration. The articles also support the reading standards for informational text. Sign up to receive a free daily email with answers to the questions, plus new articles each weekday. Click here to learn more about our weekly online newspaper, News-2-You and Breaking News, which keep subscribers up to date on interesting and necessary world, sports and entertainment news.