The Shack (journalism)
Encyclopedia
The Shack is the nickname used by reporters for the police beat in New York City
. In most cities, such a bureau is nicknamed a "cop shop
." It is named after a cramped office located inside the NYPD headquarters, where journalists report on crime stories.
When the NYPD moved to its beaux-arts headquarters at 240 Centre Street
in 1910, the press set up shop in a tenement across the street. Its poor conditions may have resulted in the nickname. This location was the office for legendary reporters including Gay Talese
, David Halberstam
, Joe Cotter and McCandlish Phillips.
In 1973, the NYPD moved to its new modernist-style headquarters at One Police Plaza
in the Civic Center
. The Shack followed with an office on the second floor of the new building. Its present tenants include Associated Press
, New York Daily News
, New York Post
, New York Times, Newsday
, Staten Island Advance
, El Diario
, NY1
News and 1010 WINS.
in April 2009, NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
announced plans to evict The Shack from Police Plaza by August, in order to make way for an expansion of a command center.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In most cities, such a bureau is nicknamed a "cop shop
Cop Shop
Cop Shop was an Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday operations of both the uniformed police officers and the plain-clothes detectives of the fictional Riverside Police Station....
." It is named after a cramped office located inside the NYPD headquarters, where journalists report on crime stories.
History
The first in-headquarters press bureau began in 1863, in the basement of the NYPD headquarters on Mulberry Street. In 1875, police superintendent George W. Walling expelled the press from the building for being too intrusive in police matters.When the NYPD moved to its beaux-arts headquarters at 240 Centre Street
240 Centre Street
240 Centre Street, formerly the New York City Police Headquarters building, between Broome and Grand Streets in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, was built in 1905-1909, and was designed by the firm of Hoppin & Koen...
in 1910, the press set up shop in a tenement across the street. Its poor conditions may have resulted in the nickname. This location was the office for legendary reporters including Gay Talese
Gay Talese
Gay Talese is an American author. He wrote for The New York Times in the early 1960s and helped to define literary journalism...
, David Halberstam
David Halberstam
David Halberstam was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.-Early life and education:Halberstam...
, Joe Cotter and McCandlish Phillips.
In 1973, the NYPD moved to its new modernist-style headquarters at One Police Plaza
One Police Plaza
1 Police Plaza is the headquarters of the New York City Police Department . 1 Police Plaza is located on Park Row in downtown Manhattan near City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. Its block borders Park Row, Pearl Street, and Police Plaza...
in the Civic Center
Civic Center, Manhattan
Civic Center is a neighborhood in downtown Manhattan covering the area around New York City Hall. It is bounded on the west by Broadway, on the north by Chinatown, on the east by the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge, and on the south by the Financial District.As in other civic centers, it is the...
. The Shack followed with an office on the second floor of the new building. Its present tenants include Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, New York Times, Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, Staten Island Advance
Staten Island Advance
The Staten Island Advance is a daily newspaper published in the borough of Staten Island in New York City. The only daily newspaper published in the borough, and the only borough to have its own major daily paper, it covers news of local and community interest, including borough politics. As of...
, El Diario
El Diario
El Diario is a newspaper of Bolivia, published in La Paz. Founded in 1904, it is Bolivia's oldest newspaper currently still published. The newspaper traditionally published a conservative position in line with its founders, the Carrasco family, one of La Paz's most influential families of the 20th...
, NY1
NY1
NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
News and 1010 WINS.
in April 2009, NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond Walter Kelly is the current Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and the first person to hold the post for two non-consecutive tenures. A lifelong New Yorker, Kelly has spent 31 years in the NYPD, serving in 25 different commands and as Police Commissioner from 1992 to 1994...
announced plans to evict The Shack from Police Plaza by August, in order to make way for an expansion of a command center.