The Yale Daily News has been published every day when the University is in session since 1878 and is the oldest college daily newspaper in the United States. During its long history, many of the newspaper’s student editors, writers and contributors have gone on to become prominent figures in journalism and public life, including William F. Buckley, Lan Samantha Chang, John Hersey, Joseph Lieberman, Sargent Shriver, Paul Steiger, Calvin Trillin, and Jacob Weisberg.
The Daily News provides intense city news coverage, celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics, a sports section and an opinion section. It is the ninth most widely-circulated daily newspaper in the United States, and is owned by Tronc, formerly Tribune Company. The paper’s flagship New York City office is located in the landmark Daily News Building, designed by architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood in 1929; its large globe is an iconic feature of Manhattan West (formerly 5 Manhattan West).
Unlike other popular dailies, which often relied on sensational crime and scandal stories to attract readers, the Daily News focused on local affairs and maintained a large staff of photographers. It was an early user of the Associated Press wirephoto service and a leading exponent of photojournalism. In the 1920s, a Daily News reporter strapped a camera to his leg and photographed the brutal murder of Ruth Snyder; the next day’s headline proclaimed “DEAD!”
From 1948 to 1995, the News operated a television station called WPIX, which still occupies its former headquarters in the 42nd Street location. The News also founded what became CBS radio affiliate WABC and owns the radio trademark “NewsRadio.”
Each article in the Daily News contains comprehension and critical thinking questions, along with “Background” and “Resources” links to help students better understand a story. Students can use the “Sign Up” box on the Daily News website to receive a free daily email with the questions each morning. This enables teachers to easily assign the articles for homework or classwork. The Daily News articles can also be downloaded for offline reading. The Daily News mobile app allows users to view all articles and sections of the newspaper. It is available for Android and iOS devices. In the future, the app will allow users to save a customized layout of their favorite sections of the paper.