Death of the Daily News: The Story of a Newspaper and How it Died
In the early 1900s, the New York Daily News was a leading daily newspaper. At its height, it had a circulation of over two million copies, making it the largest paper in the United States. With lurid photographs, a sensational crime coverage, and cartoons, it became a favorite with readers. During World War II, the Daily News supported the isolationist cause.
In recent years, the New York Daily News has gone through financial struggles. The newspaper has faced bankruptcy for decades, and in 2017, the company was sold to Tribune Publishing for a nominal price. Now the Daily News has become an online digital replica of the print edition, giving readers the chance to share stories with others. This interactive edition also offers the latest digital tools for enhanced reading and sharing.
Despite its troubles, the Daily News is a powerful presence in the news world. With a slew of Pulitzer Prize-winning feature writers, award-winning reporters, and prominent photographs for both sports and entertainment, the Daily News has earned international recognition for its reporting. Its opinion section is a place to weigh in on political and social issues.
But, as Andrew Conte’s excellent book, Death of the Daily News: The Story of a Newspaper and How it Died, illustrates, the death of a local newspaper isn’t the end of journalism. In fact, it offers an in-depth look at how a town can survive after its paper dies.
After losing its newspapers, many citizens in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, are trying to make sense of their own news. While residents struggle to distinguish facts from gossip, they rely on social media to communicate. One of the most compelling aspects of this book is the way in which it explores the stages of grief that follow the closure of a local newspaper.
While the news is still hard for people to digest, some are trying to build new types of local journalism. Andrew Conte is a veteran reporter who has spent a lifetime working on national and local news. He understands how important it is to the public to know about the people in their communities, and he is a lifeline for the towns that have lost their papers.
Death of the Daily News is a compelling and well-written work that makes a strong case for the importance of local journalism. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will find plenty of information to learn about the plight of communities that have lost their newspapers. It is a readable book that will appeal to scholars and ordinary citizens alike.
As one of the most important and well-known daily newspapers in the country, the Daily News has always maintained a strong commitment to covering the city of New York. As an independent publication, the Daily News has fought against the right-wing agenda of the New York Post and the Associated Press. And it has provided voice to the voiceless.
The Daily News is now owned by Tribune Publishing, a Chicago-based media company. In 2017, the newspaper was sold to the company for $1.