Using Ipsos iris daily data, Newsworks data and insight manager Daisy Hills uncovers the headlines that shaped readers’ engagement with digital news brands over the last 12 months
Trump, Ukraine, Russia, Westminster, Gaza, the royals: 2025 was as chaotic as audiences had predicted. While the nation’s conversation moved from one big story to the next, news was there to help them navigate the world every step of the way.
With domestic politics, international conflict, local issues and sports updates all getting readers checking for the latest updates, here are 2025’s biggest months for news.
News navigating choppy international waters
With readers spending 5.1 billion minutes in January, Brits started the year with a familiar topic: the weather. Storm Eowyn caused floods, delays and disruption across the country, with readers eager to keep abreast of the winter weather.
Then, the headlines turned to a persistent theme through 2025 — international politics and, more specifically, President Trump’s return to the White House. January saw his inauguration, with plenty of speculation across news brands into what the Republican’s return to office might entail.
The theme continued in March, which saw five billion minutes spent across the month. This was the month that saw heightened coverage around Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s infamous Oval Office showdown, which resulted in a temporary suspension of US military aid and a renewed international focus on the war in Ukraine.
With a total of 4.9 billion minutes over the course of the month, May was dominated by headlines a little closer to home. The month started with coverage of Reform’s unprecedented success in the local elections, plus government announcements around upcoming immigration policies. These topics mattered to readers: 65% of all news brand visitors visited a UK government entity (website or app) in May, with a shared audience of 28.8 million people.
England roars its way to sporting glory
With 5.1 billion minutes spent on national news brands, it’s clear to see how the sporting summer made July the most engaging month for news overall. With Wimbledon, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Women’s Euros all taking place, there was plenty to keep readers engaging with all the twists and turns in news brands. 91% of all minutes on national news brands were made up of sports fans during this month, while heavy sports visitors were 14% more likely to be found on news brands in July, spending 1.8 billion minutes.
At 4.9 billion minutes, a busy October balanced both international and domestic issues. The start saw the Israel-Gaza conflict entering peace talks, which was followed by an horrific attack on a synagogue in Manchester. Then, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was forced to renounce his royal titles and remove himself from public life after US authorities released further files concerning convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Last but certainly not least, November. With total time spent again reaching 4.9 billion minutes, the month was a rollercoaster of rumours about one of the most anticipated Budgets in recent memory. Indeed, 2 November saw the most engaging news day of the entire year, with 186 million minutes spent on news brands on that day alone. The story continued to dominate the agenda throughout the month, with the final policies being laid out by the chancellor on 26 November.
What will 2026 bring? With our latest consumer survey showing that 41% of Brits anticipate another chaotic year at home and abroad, there’s one thing that we can be certain about: news brands will continue to help readers understand a constantly changing world.
