The Daily News, founded in 1919, calls itself “New York’s Hometown Newspaper.” It has been known over the years for zesty headlines — perhaps most notably “Ford to City: Drop Dead” during the New York’s financial woes of 1975 — intense city news coverage, gossip and star columnists. The paper also has won several Pulitzer Prizes for public service journalism, including this year’s award for uncovering how the city improperly evicted hundreds of people from their homes.
The newspaper’s staffers and writers are expected to adhere to journalistic principles of objectivity and fairness when reporting the news. They are not supposed to take sides or show bias in their writings, editorial cartoons, Op-Ed commentaries or press conferences. These activities help to shape how readers view the world around them and may influence their choices about how to live their lives.
News articles generally follow the Inverted Pyramid format, with the most important information — who, what, where, when, why and how of a story — placed at the top or beginning of an article. Additional or less important information is then added to the article in a sequence that builds on the lead. The goal is to grab the reader’s attention and keep them reading by giving them the most relevant information in a short amount of space.
Each article should have a snappy headline that concisely informs the reader of the news topic while seizing their interest. The body of the news article should then provide a detailed explanation of the event or development. The information should be sourced to ensure that it is credible and provides a balanced perspective of the issue.
It is often helpful to have a timeline or chart with the dates and times of events to place them in context. The reader can then more easily understand the magnitude of the news event and its impact on individuals, communities or the larger society. The writer can then use this knowledge when explaining the impact of the event and any possible solutions or outcomes that could result from it.
In addition to its news stories, the Daily News publishes comics and several special issues each year, including a Yale-Harvard game day issue, a Commencement Issue and the first of the Year’s New Years. It also has a popular online blog called Daily Intel, which covers the latest news in a quick and concise manner. The paper is available at a number of locations in New York, as well as through a digital edition for tablets and smartphones. A free trial subscription to the newspaper is offered to anyone who wishes to experience its journalism. A fee is charged for a subscription after the trial period ends. The company is privately owned by publisher Mort Zuckerman, who has invested heavily in the paper in recent years. Its print circulation has declined over the years as readers have shifted to online sources for their news and information.