The Yale Daily News is the nation’s oldest college newspaper and has been financially and editorially independent since its founding on January 28, 1878. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and also publishes a weekly Friday supplement called WKND and several special issues each year including the Yale-Harvard Game Day Issue, Commencement Issue and First Year Issue. The News also collaborates with various campus groups and initiatives to produce special issues focusing on the Yale community’s Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
The Daily News’ early success in circulation can be largely attributed to sensational pictorial coverage and an unrelenting willingness to go one step further than its rivals in the pursuit of attention-grabbing headlines. Perhaps no other event illustrates this better than the 1928 front page photo of Ruth Snyder mid-electrocution, captured by a reporter who strapped a small camera to his leg. The paper’s subsequent headline simply read: “DEAD!”
In the midst of the Great Depression, the News was the most widely read newspaper in the world. Its success was due in large part to the newspaper’s smaller tabloid size, which was easier for commuters on New York City’s subway system to handle and navigate. The News also grew its readership through an aggressive stance on social and welfare issues and by covering the stories of police brutality perpetrated against immigrants, most famously in the case of Abner Louima.
By the end of the century, however, the Daily News was struggling to keep up with its rivals in terms of circulation. It was losing ground to the more sensational New York Post and to a rival daily tabloid, the Star-Ledger. It was also suffering from rising labor costs and production difficulties brought on by a long-running union strike.
In addition to its comprehensive news analysis, the Daily News also provides an excellent overview of current events from around the globe. The article includes information on important policy decisions, global climate change, environmental degradation, conservation efforts and more. Aspirants can use this resource to understand the broader perspective behind current affairs and boost their chances of scoring higher in the UPSC Prelims and Mains.