Daily News is the nation’s oldest college daily newspaper and has been editorially and financially independent since its founding on January 28, 1878. The News publishes Monday through Friday during the academic year in print and online. The News also publishes a weekly newsmagazine and several special issues each year in collaboration with Yale’s cultural centers and affiliated student groups. The News serves the Yale and New Haven communities.
The paper was known for its intense city news coverage, celebrity gossip, and classified ads, as well as lurid photographs, cartoons, and sports articles. During its heyday in the 1920s, it was one of the highest-circulation papers in the United States and operated out of the iconic art deco Daily News Building at 450 West 33rd Street in Manhattan.
In the era of digital disruption, many local newspapers have closed and left vast areas of the country without traditional news sources. Those communities, known as “news deserts,” are trying to make sense of their own lives and separate fact from fiction—often driven by social media—while navigating the changing landscape of journalism. Death of the Daily News is a profoundly important and deeply reported look at the aftermath of this disruption and an essential exploration of the future of local journalism.
The narrator for this episode is Jon Stewart, host of the Comedy Central show The Daily Show. He is joined by a team of Daily Show correspondents and guests to discuss the top headlines of the day.
Each Daily News article includes “Comprehension and Critical Thinking Questions” (found below the story) as well as Background and Resources that can help students further understand the news story. The questions were developed by the editors at the Daily News and reviewed by a team of educators.
The Yale Daily News Historical Archive provides access to digitized versions of printed issues of the Yale Daily News, including articles, photos, and graphics. The archive has been moved to a new and improved platform that is more user-friendly and easier to navigate. A gift from an anonymous Yale alumnus made it possible to migrate the archive and enhance its functionality. The archive is open to the public and free of charge.