The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a right-wing news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C.[7] It was founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and political pundit Neil Patel in 2010. Launched as a "conservative answer to The Huffington Post", The Daily Caller quadrupled its audience and became profitable by 2012, surpassing several rival websites by 2013. In 2020, the site was described by The New York Times as having been "a pioneer in online conservative journalism".[8] The Daily Caller is a member of the White House press pool.[9]
Type of site
News, opinion
English
January 11, 2010
1920 L Street NW Floor 2, Washington, D.C. 20036
The Daily Caller, Inc.
- Neil Patel
(Publisher) - Geoffrey Ingersoll
(Editor-in-Chief) - Eric Lieberman
(Managing Editor)
Native
Optional, required to comment
January 11, 2010
Online
The Daily Caller has published stories claimed by some to be false and declined to correct them when they were shown to be untrue.[16] The website has published articles that contradict the scientific consensus on climate change. In September 2018, the website cut ties with an editor linked to white supremacist causes.[17][18] The website has responded to challenges to its stories in various ways, in some cases defending their claims, and in others expressing regret for story headlines or content;[19] and on at least one occasion, when pointed out by other news outlets, the website has repudiated a past article writer due to support of extremist views.[17]
In June 2020, Carlson left the site, with Patel buying out Carlson's stake to become majority owner.[20][8] Foster Friess, a major conservative donor also known for being an investment manager, remained a partial owner until his death in 2021.[8][21]
History[edit]
The Daily Caller was founded by Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel. After raising $3 million in funding from businessman Foster Friess, the website was launched on January 11, 2010. The organization began with a reporting staff of 21 in its Washington office. It was launched as a "conservative answer to The Huffington Post", similarly featuring sections in broad range of subjects beyond politics. When The Daily Caller launched in 2010, it became the third Washington DC based news site besides Talking Points Memo and Politico.[22]
In a 2010 interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Carlson described The Daily Caller's prospective audience as "[p]eople who are distrustful of conventional news organizations". Carlson said "the coverage of the Tea Party blows me away by its stupidity. The assumption of almost everyone I know who covers politics for the networks or daily newspapers is: they're all birthers, they're all crazy, they're upset about fluoride in the water, probably racist. And those assumptions have prevented good journalism from taking place".[23]
By late 2012, the site had quadrupled its page view and total audience and had become profitable without ever buying an advertisement for itself.[24]
Vince Coglianese replaced Carlson as editor-in-chief in 2016 when the Tucker Carlson Tonight show began on Fox.[25] Carlson departed the site in June 2020 to increase his focus on his new show.[26] Patel brought in Omeed Malik as a new partner; a former hedge fund managing director and Muslim American Democrat, he was a donor to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.[27] The Daily Caller became a minority-owned and -run company thereafter.[28] Friess remained a partial owner until his death in 2021.[8][21]
In 2020, The New York Times noted that "several former Daily Caller reporters occupy prominent roles in Washington journalism", specifically noting CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins and Daily Mail reporter David Martosko.[8]
Check Your Fact subsidiary website[edit]
In 2017, The Daily Caller launched a for-profit subsidiary fact-checking website called Check Your Fact. In 2018, the site was approved by Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to become a fact-checking partner of Facebook in 2019.[38][126][127] The website is editorially independent of The Daily Caller and has its own staff.[41] Scientists and advocates have expressed that the partnership could be used to downplay climate articles on Facebook.[128]