USA Today

USA Today was founded by Al Neuharth and launched on September 14, 1982, as America's first national daily newspaper. The launch ceremony featured President Ronald Reagan, Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, and Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker. Neuharth, who had previously run Gannett's Florida operations and launched the successful Florida Today, used color schemes and design elements from that paper as inspiration for USA Today's format. Early critics derided it as "McPaper" for its short, digestible articles and heavy use of color and graphics, but the format proved wildly popular with readers.

The newspaper introduced concise reports, colorized images, informational graphics, and popular culture stories, features that would influence newspapers worldwide. As of 2026, USA Today attracts over 134 million monthly website visits and holds the fourth largest print circulation in the United States, with 89,200 print subscribers and 142,212 digital-only subscribers. The paper is printed at 37 sites across the U.S. and five additional sites internationally, distributed in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with an international edition reaching Asia, Canada, Europe, and the Pacific islands.

In November 2025, the parent company Gannett renamed itself to USA Today Co., with the stock trading under the ticker "TDAY" on the NYSE. This rebranding elevated the newspaper's name to corporate identity level. The company's leadership includes Mike Reed as chairman and CEO, Caren Bohan as editor-in-chief, and Kristin Roberts as chief content officer. The brand's corporate headquarters are at 1675 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York City, NY 10019. [edit]