Newsday is a daily tabloid-size, Pulitzer Prize-winning, American newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the New York City metropolitan area. As of fall 2007, Newsday's weekday circulation of 387,000 made it 10th-highest in the United States, and the highest for a suburban newspaper."Three New York Moguls in Talks to Buy Newsday", by Tim Arango and Richard Pérez-Peña, March 21, 2008

The newspaper headquarters is in Melville, New York, on Long Island.

History

Founded by Alicia Patterson, with backing from her husband, Harry Guggenheim, the paper was first published on September 3, 1940 from Hempstead. After Patterson's death in 1963, Guggenheim became publisher and editor, and in 1971, he sold the paper to the Times Mirror Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times. Newsday launched a separate Queens edition in 1977, followed by a New York City edition. In June 2000, Times Mirror merged with the Tribune Company, partnering Newsday with the New York City television station WPIX (Channel 11), also owned by Tribune. Chicago, Illinois, real estate magnate Samuel Zell purchased Tribune in 2007.

News Corporation, headed by CEO Rupert Murdoch, attempted to purchase Newsday for $580 million in April 2008. This was soon followed by a matching bid from New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman and a $680 million bid from Cablevision. In May 2008, News Corporation withdrew its bid, and on May 12, 2008, Newsday reported that Cablevision would purchase the paper for $650 million. The sale was completed July 29, 2008.

New York Newsday

A separate edition of the newspaper, New York Newsday, was established in 1985 and discontinued in 1995, though Newsday continues to be distributed in New York City.

Editorial style

Despite having a tabloid format, Newsday is not known for being sensationalistic, as are other local daily tabloids, such as the New York Daily News and the New York Post.

In 2004, the alternative weekly newspaper Long Island Press wrote that Newsday has used its clout to influence local politics in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Bill Moyers briefly served as publisher. During the tenure of publisher Robert M. Johnson in the 1980s, Newsday made a major push into New York City. The paper's roster of newspaper columnists and critics included Jimmy Breslin, Barbara Garson, Murray Kempton, Gail Collins, Pete Hamill, Sydney Schanberg, Jim Dwyer, sportswriter Mike Lupica, music critic Tim Page, and television critic Marvin Kitman. Newsday featured both the advice columnists Ann Landers and Dear Abby for several years. Its features section has included television reporters Verne Gay and Diane Werts, reality TV columnist Frank Lovece, and film critics John Anderson, Rafer Guzman, Gene Seymour, and Jan Stuart.