Landmark elections, royal rollercoasters and Euros fever, 2024 was a huge year for news
Using Ipsos iris daily data to look at the total minutes spent with digital news publishers each day, Newsworks uncovers the 10 biggest news days and some of the biggest headlines of the last 12 months.
1. 5 July, 199.5m minutes
With almost 200 million minutes spent reading digital news brands, it was the result of the UK election announced on 5 July that drove the top news day of 2024.
2. 9 June, 175m minutes
Tragedy struck when reports of Michael Mosley’s passing hit the digital headlines, with readers flocking to tributes of the beloved TV doctor.
3. 8 January, 167.3m minutes
The Post Office scandal took centre stage for much of the beginning of 2024; anger over delays to compensation payments drew the attention of readers in January.
4. 22 May, 165m minutes
The typical wet British weather combined with a gloomy-looking Rishi Sunak announcing a snap election kept readers engaged and gifted gold to the headline writers.
5. 14 July, 165m minutes
It was heartbreak again for England. Fans turned to news brands to share in their despair after the Three Lions fell at the final hurdle of Euros 2024.
6. 8 February, 164.6m minutes
News of the King and Princess of Wales being hospitalised shocked the country; many turned to news brands to learn more.
7. 6 November, 163.2m minutes
After a hotly-contested race, the US election result drew the attention of many looking to understand the outcome and what comes next.
8. 7 July, 162.5m minutes
A penalty shootout usually spells disaster for England men’s football team. However, on 7 July they overcame the Swiss to head to the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
9. 27 February, 162.2m minutes
The Prince of Wales pulled out of a memorial service for his godfather King Constantine of Greece after news of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis.
10. 17 January, 162.1m minutes
Royal news continued to generate immense interest as the Princess of Wales was revealed to have had abdominal surgery while the King was also scheduled for surgery in the coming days.
