University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection
  ↳ The day book (Chicago, Ill.)

The Day Book was conceived by newspaper mogul Edward Willis Scripps as an experiment in advertisement-free newspaper publishing. This Chicago publication was published for a "working-class readership" Mondays through Saturdays from September 28th, 1911 to July 6th, 1917. Scripps envisioned that this digest-sized publication would report on issues of concern for the vast majority of the populace. The Day Book championed the interests of workers, with extensive coverage of working conditions, wages, union organizing, and labor unrest. Of note is that Carl Sandburg was a reporter for the paper from 1913 to 1917. Although the publication was profitable for only one month of its run, scholars recognize its achievements in adopting both a new business model for newspaper publishing and a new style of advocacy journalism.