PM (newspaper)

PM was a leftist daily newspaper in New York City launched in June 1940, bankrolled by eccentric Chicago millionaire Marshall Field III.

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The paper employed some radical journalists, among them some known members of the Communist Party. This led to widespread accusations that the paper was Communist-dominated, but a thesis by Anya Schiffrin concluded that the paper frequently opposed the policies of the Communist Party and got into editorial fights with the CP's paper, the Daily Worker.

Related Topics:
Communist Party - Daily Worker

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The name stood for "Picture Magazine"; it borrowed many elements from weekly newsmagazines, such as many large photos and, at first, being bound with staples. It accepted no advertising in an attempt to be free of pressure from business interests. These departures from the norms of newspapering created excitement in the industry; 11,000 people applied for the 150 jobs available when the paper began.

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Circulation averaged at 165,000, but the paper never managed to sell the 225,000 copies a day it would need to break even. The paper was sold in 1948 and renamed the New York Star, then died a year later.

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Dr. Seuss was a frequent contributors to PMs editorial page. Crockett Johnson's the comic strip Barnaby debuted in the paper in 1942. Walt Kelly's comic strip Pogo first appeared in PM's successor, the Star in 1948.

Related Topics:
Dr. Seuss - Crockett Johnson - Barnaby - Walt Kelly - Pogo

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