Mr. Johnson was the first black reporter at Newsday and later, at The New York Times, one of the first black journalists to work as a foreign correspondent for a major daily newspaper.

The owners of The New York Post and The Daily News lost out to Cablevision in the battle for Newsday on Monday, but the tabloid war may be far from over.

The deal with Tribune will give Cablevision a 97 percent stake and return the paper to Long Island ownership.

The deal with Tribune will give Cablevision a 97 percent stake and return the paper to Long Island ownership.

The deal with the Tribune Company will give Cablevision a 97 percent stake and return the paper to Long Island ownership.

Cablevision appeared likely to prevail in the bidding for the newspaper after the News Corporation pulled out.

Cablevision appeared likely to prevail in the bidding for the Long Island newspaper after News Corporation pulled its $580 million bid.

Cablevision is preparing a $650 million offer for Newsday, while the owners of The New York Observer have dropped out of the bidding.

Mortimer B. Zuckerman, the owner of The Daily News, will make the argument that his bid is more attractive because it does not have the potential to fall into regulatory limbo.

A tentative deal to buy his third New York newspaper would tighten Rupert Murdoch’s grip on American news media.