Founded in 1919 as the New York Daily News, today the Daily News is one of the largest newspapers in the United States and the world. It combines intense city news coverage with celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics and a wide range of other sections. It is best known for its tabloid format and front page photographs, which have made it a symbol of popular American culture.
The News has also pioneered in the use of photography to capture events and public reactions to those events. For example, in 1928 a News reporter strapped a camera to his leg and shot the first photo of Ruth Snyder being executed in an electric chair. The photograph appeared the next day with the headline “DEAD!”
Over the years, the News has developed a reputation for a flexible centrist editorial stance with a populist legacy. The paper was a staunch advocate of isolationism in the early stages of World War II and a supporter of conservative populism from 1940 through the 1960s. It has since shifted to a moderately liberal position and is competing with the Post as an alternative New York newspaper.
The News also owns and operates the Broadway theater, Radio City Music Hall, in which it hosts a variety of musical and other events. It has a large staff of investigative reporters who are often credited with uncovering government corruption and criminal wrongdoing. The newspaper also has a reputation for its strong sports coverage and is one of the most important outlets for local New York City news. The newspaper’s former headquarters at 220 East 42nd Street, designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, is an official city landmark. It now houses the world headquarters of the Associated Press and is called Manhattan West.