Nowy Dziennik Digital Archive

Nowy Dziennik (The New Daily) is the largest independent Polish-language newspaper in the United States, serving as a key source of information for the Polish émigré community. Its opinion-forming reporting covers current social, political, sports, cultural, and religious events.

Established in 1971 in New Jersey by WWII and post-war emigrants and journalists, it later moved to New York City and ran daily until 2016, at which point it became a weekly. At its head was the long-time editor-in-chief, Bolesław Wierzbiański (1913-2003), who was ultimately recognized with the highest Polish honor, the Order of the White Eagle.

Initially, the task of the newspaper was to integrate the Polish diaspora, defend interests of Poles in the U.S., support efforts to regain independence from the Soviets, help the Polish political class in their contacts with American politicians, and provide financial aid to the country.

Later, the newspaper informed and commented on difficult events in Polish history: the killing of workers in 1976 in Radom and Ursus, the establishment of KOR and Solidarity, strikes in 1980, and violations of human rights. When Poland came under martial law in 1981, Nowy Dziennik accompanied their reporting with reprints of the articles of the Polish underground press and inserts with the names of internees, organized Polish groups to pressure the American power elite, fundraised for the interned and their families, and sent aid parcels to the country. Likewise, the newspaper covered events around the Polish Round Table Agreement in 1989 and government elections in a newly free country, supported Poland’s admission to NATO in 1999, and sought the support of American politicians for Poland’s admission to the European Union, which was achieved in 2004.

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Nowy Dziennik offered news from the U.S. and Poland, press reviews, books, chronicles, editorials, and discussed sports events. Among its highlights were reports from Pope John Paul II’s travels. In the years 2007-2020, there was a large number of publications discussing various aspects of the attitude and teachings of John Paul II, which were especially focused on family values.

Through the years, in addition to its permanent employees, the newspaper employed associates in the U.S. and abroad, including Poland, UK, France, Italy and South America. Among them were Tadeusz Nowakowski, W.A. Zbyszewski, Zdzisław Bau, Zbigniew Racięski, Andrzej Pomian, Adam Ciołkosz, Edmund Jan Osmanczyk, Wojciech Wasiutynski, Marek Świecicki and Ryszard N. Feldhuzen, Renata Gorczynska, Malgorzata Szejnert, Tomasz Zalewski, Feliks Gross, Zdzislaw Najder, Jacek Kalabinski, Danuta Mostwin, Stefan Bratkowski, and Teresa Toranska. Guests of the newspaper included politicians and writers: Lech Walesa, Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, Adam Michnik, Bronislaw Geremek, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Ryszard Kapuscinski.

In 1981, the newspaper started publishing a literary and social weekly under the name Tydzień Polski (later, Przegląd Polski), which showcased outstanding individuals and printed polemics and novels in episodes. Later, they added a monthly magazine, Przegląd Literacki, which was devoted to Polish literature, issues in the U.S. and Poland, interviews with refugees, and important events in Polish history.

The circulation of the newspaper reached 50,000 in the ‘90s, and the weekend editions were 96 or even 104 pages long.

Nowy Dziennik was associated with a publishing house and a bookstore that published books in Polish and English on topics related to Poland, and New Horizon magazine, which discussed Polish literature and art and was established to meet the cultural needs of the English-speaking Polish community. The newspaper created a space for literary and artistic events, and hosted Polish celebrities such as Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Krystyna Janda, Tadeusz Konwicki, Krzysztof Zanussi, and Henryk Grynberg.

One of the newspaper’s lasting achievements is the publication of the biographical dictionary Who Is Who in America (1996), which documents Polish-American contributions to American society.