How NYC’s News Outlets Stack Up: A Scorecard
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NYC’s Local News Providers
Local news is the backbone of an informed community. While national outlets cover big-picture issues, local journalism keeps residents connected to the decisions, events, and developments that directly affect their daily lives. From school board meetings and city council votes to neighborhood safety updates and infrastructure changes, local outlets provide the context and details that larger publications often overlook. Without this level of coverage, communities risk losing transparency in governance and accountability from those in power.
Beyond politics, local news shapes the cultural identity of a city. It highlights neighborhood stories, small businesses, community events, and the people who make up the fabric of daily life. In a place as vast and diverse as New York City, this role is critical—local outlets ensure that voices from all boroughs and backgrounds are heard, not just those dominating national headlines. They also serve as historical records, documenting the changes, challenges, and triumphs of a community over time.
It is important to consume a diverse array of opinions and to be able to understand both sides of an issue. F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote in The Crack-Up, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. This philosophy fitted on to my early adult life, when I saw the improbable, the implausible, often the ‘impossible,’ come true.”
Here’s how New York City’s news outlets rank—scored out of 10—from the highest performers to those with the most room for improvement.
The List
The New York Times – 9/10
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Still the gold standard in New York City journalism, the Times delivers world-class reporting, though it’s not immune to criticism. It is read internationally and has print editions that are sold across the world. The paper is able to shape the American national dialogue in a really unique and unparalleled way while reaching American intelligentsia with ease.
Domestically, being the first to report on many stories, the paper can field a lot of controversy from prominent people, businesses, and institutions featured in their stories. It is intellectual but occasional bias can seep through. For example, the opinions section can sometimes feel like a grab bag of random contributors.
Like always, it takes consistent readership and interest to fully grasp the writing styles and biases of different authors in their articles. One New York Times author’s coverage on an event could be the entire polar opposite of another author’s coverage, and being able to understand those nuances is key to staying informed on national and global current events.
Gothamist – 8.5/10
A go-to for neighborhood stories, city politics, and cultural coverage, Gothamist has built a strong reputation for accessible, well-rounded reporting. Powered by WNYC, this non-profit newsroom gives viewers the option to listen to stories through its public radio station linked directly on the website. Viewers can read a wide variety of news articles, listen to podcasts, and send story ideas. The website sorts articles on the homepage based on the latest stories and the editors’ picks.
The website is easy to navigate and entirely free to use, making news easily accessible to those who can’t afford a subscription-based site. Unlike the New York Times, with the lack of an opinions category, the coverage is mostly neutral. Although the articles lean more on the liberal side, the authors’ biases slip through only occasionally.
One way Gothamist could improve is by expanding its coverage. The politics category, for example, could be split into local and national categories. Additionally, a free website like Gothamist having a category focused on businesses in New York City could give small businesses more exposure than a paid news site.
The Wall Street Journal – 8.5/10
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Owned by News Corp like the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal offers far more objective reporting and strong business journalism. The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of financial news makes it a dependable resource for investors and wealth managers. The publication covers a wide variety of topics—business, politics, technology, art, lifestyle, and health, to name a few.
Its editorial pages and political articles skew conservative, but its news reporting is consistently high-quality. The New York Times can sometimes show bias in its reporting but the Wall Street Journal, sometimes more frequently than other times, can feature grifters and essays with blatant conflicts of interest. Because the paper has more of a financial nature, authors featured in the opinion section can oftentimes show serious bias in their support or opposition to a financial story, strategy, or product.
The City – 8/10
A solid source for investigative and community-focused reporting, The City continues to fill in the gaps left by larger outlets, offering stories that dig into the realities of everyday New Yorkers. Whereas the previous publications mentioned offer stories based on world news, The City focuses more on what’s happening in New York City. Stories cover issues with climate, criminal justice, immigration, labor, and more.
But unlike the larger publications, The City’s website isn’t as easy to navigate. The homepage is a little hard to follow, with stories on various topics thrown together rather than grouped by category. The website could benefit from organizing stories based on their topic on the homepage, and by including the menu bar at the top of the page rather than having readers navigate to it through a button on the left side. Despite this, The City is the perfect publication for New Yorkers who want journalism that hits closer to home.
The New York Daily News – 8/10
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More reputable than the New York Post yet carrying a clear progressive editorial voice, the Daily News maintains a reputation for delivering strong local coverage with a sharper civic orientation. This paper is oftentimes more family-friendly and is seen being read by high schoolers or younger people who are interested in staying informed or pursuing a future in journalism.
While serving as a more left-leaning counterpoint to the New York Post, it can favor dramatic headlines, but typically frames its stories with less polarization and a greater emphasis on community impact. Stories cover local and national news—with a stronger emphasis on local stories—crime and public safety, sports, and election coverage. The website is organized so that the latest news stories are easily accessible from the homepage.
A downside of the Daily News website is that the advertisements can sometimes tend to have a bigger spotlight than the stories themselves. The advertisements take up a good portion of the page, and because of this, it leaves less room for more stories to be included on each page.
New York Amsterdam News – 8/10
A vital voice for the city’s black community, the Amsterdam News blends cultural reporting with important local advocacy, maintaining its relevance after more than a century in print. It is one of the oldest newspapers geared towards black people in the United States and has published columns by such figures as W. E. B. The publication covers stories on events, black history, arts and entertainment, nature, and more.
The publication doesn’t just focus on issues the Black community faces locally. There are stories covering national issues, like the Target boycotts due to cuts in DEI efforts and the struggle to find HIV medication in South Africa after cuts in aid by the United States. There are also plenty of stories covering the vibrant culture of black people, with articles focusing on jazz music and films by black directors. Overall, the New York Amsterdam News is an educational publication that puts the spotlight on issues faced by minorities and that gives a voice to a population that has a history of being silenced in the United States.
The Empire City Wire – 7/10
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A newer player in the NYC media scene, The Empire City Wire is on the rise, offering fresh perspectives and ambitious reporting, but still with room to grow. Stories cover both local and national news, entertainment, dining, and travel. The publication leans heavily on A.I. to expand content production capabilities but is doing so with an intention of eventually being able to generate enough revenue to bring on a team of full time staff writers.
One way the publication could grow is by focusing more on news stories—breaking, local, and national. Having stories focus more on recent events and include interviews conducted by journalists could attract more readers to the website. Publishing stories more frequently could also increase viewership.
Time Out – 6/10
While still a handy resource for events and entertainment, Time Out’s coverage has become more listicle-heavy and less journalistically rigorous over time. The publication refers to itself as a news outlet, but the stories barely cover any local or national news. Instead, coverage is heavily focused on travel, dining, and film. The stories rarely focus on New York City, and the publication’s focus seems to be more international than local or national. Despite this, Time Out is a great publication for those interested in travel, entertainment, and pop culture. The website is very touristy-heavy.
Time Out could benefit from improving its website. The advertisements take up the most space and tend to cover the actual stories. Additionally, the news category is quite misleading and unnecessary, since it only includes articles on travel and film which have their own categories on the website.
Secret NYC – 6/10
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A social-media-friendly outlet focused on lifestyle and events, Secret NYC delivers quick hits for a casual audience but lacks depth in hard news. The coverage is New York City-focused, but tends to lean towards the travel and touristy rather than the informative and educational. The coverage is mostly positive and leaves out topics relating to crime, politics, and local and national issues.
Despite this, it is a good resource for under the radar events, restaurants, or bars that may not be known broadly across New York City. It’s a great publication for those interested in visiting the city, or for those who want a break from the negative coverage of larger publications. Secret NYC’s content leans more towards the entertaining.
The New York Post – 5/10
The New York Post, founded in 1801 by Alexander Hamilton and recognized as the oldest continuously published daily in New York City, began with lofty ambitions of shaping public discourse. Now under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch, it has shifted dramatically from its origins, often derided as sensationalist, and has now been reduced to a foreign-owned tabloid far removed from Hamilton’s vision.
Known for its tabloid flair and sharp right-wing tilt, the New York Post thrives on splashy headlines and provocative framing. While it occasionally breaks major stories, its reputation as a vehicle for political spin and gossip often overshadows its more substantive reporting. Its signature “Page Six” has become emblematic of the brand, frequently targeting politicians and celebrities with aggressively unflattering scoops.
