Decline in News Site Traffic Following January Surge

In January 2025, a dynamic month for U.S. news, major online news platforms experienced a significant boost in traffic, driven in part by the inauguration of Donald Trump for a second term. However, as February rolled in, the momentum slowed dramatically, with many leading news websites facing sizable declines in visitor numbers.

Traffic Trends in February

According to recent data from Similarweb, while January saw extensive engagement across news sites, February illustrated a stark reversal. Among the 50 most-visited online news brands in the U.S., only 11 recorded an increase in traffic compared to the previous month. In stark contrast, 19 websites reported decreases of 10% or more in their visitor numbers.

February was marked by several notable news events, yet the traffic declines persisted despite the heightened interest in current affairs. The month included coverage of a tragic airplane crash in Washington D.C. and an intense dispute in the Oval Office between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Top Performers and Biggest Losers

The Los Angeles Times, which saw an astounding 118% surge in web visits in January due to its coverage of historic wildfires in California, experienced the most significant month-on-month decline in February, with traffic plummeting to 20.8 million visits—a substantial 51% decrease from January. This figure also represents a 27% drop compared to February 2024. Despite the overall trend, a couple of sites managed to grow their audience. Notably, political news site The Hill enjoyed a 17% rise in traffic, reaching 42.9 million visits, while the UK-based The Independent increased its traffic by 12% to 26.5 million.

Among the top ten most-visited news sites, only the Associated Press recorded growth, garnering 122.8 million visits—a 5.7% increase from January. Conversely, USA Today saw the steepest decline in this group, with a 19% drop to 128.8 million visits, followed by CNN, which fell by 14% to 345.1 million, and BBC News at an 11% decline to 112.3 million. People magazine experienced the least decline in the top ten, losing just 5% of its traffic.

Year-on-Year Comparisons

Year-on-year comparisons present a more mixed outcome. The Associated Press was the standout growth site, ballooning its traffic by 76% compared to February 2024, with the BBC not far behind, achieving a 30% increase. People and The New York Times, which remains the most-visited news site in the U.S. with 452.4 million visits, also reported modest growth numbers—7.1% and 6.4%, respectively.

On the downside, six of the top ten sites experienced traffic losses. Notably, the aggregator MSN saw a decline of 8%, and USA Today also dropped by 8%.

Broader Observations

Among the broader list of the top 50 news sites, Athlon Sports demonstrated exceptional year-on-year growth, achieving an astounding 854% rise in web traffic, while India Times reported an 82% increase. Other notable mentions include The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart, which grew by 54% and 26%, respectively.

Conversely, seven sites reported year-on-year traffic decreases of 10% or more, with the largest declines noted for The Sun and Daily Mail, down 62% and 19%, respectively.

Methodology

This analysis of traffic dynamics was conducted by Similarweb, which applies machine learning and statistical modeling to assess visitor data across news websites. The methodology includes direct measurement from websites that share their analytics and public data collection efforts.

Conclusion

The dramatic shifts in traffic patterns indicate the volatile nature of online news consumption, with fluctuating interest reflecting the broader political and social landscape in the U.S. As the news cycle continues to evolve, media outlets will need to adapt to these dynamics to maintain and grow their audience.

For ongoing insights into changes in news consumption, stay tuned for future reports on website traffic trends in the U.S. news landscape.