According to the latest Similarweb data reported by Press Gazette, Newsweek, the Daily Mail, and Business Insider experienced the most significant traffic drops among major US news websites in August compared to the same period a year earlier. These three outlets were part of a broader trend, as 41 out of the top 50 US news websites saw year-on-year traffic declines, while 40 sites recorded decreases compared to July.
Newsweek faced the steepest year-on-year drop at 72%, falling to 23.3 million visits, alongside a 6% decline from July. The Daily Mail saw a 45% year-on-year decrease and a 6% month-on-month drop, totaling 38.5 million visits; however, these figures may be influenced by its April domain switch from .co.uk to .com. Business Insider recorded a 42% year-on-year decline and a 3% month-on-month drop, reaching 26.4 million visits. All three publishers have cited falling search traffic due to Google’s AI Overviews and have implemented job cuts this year, shifting focus toward loyal audiences through strategies like premium paywalls and niche coverage areas.
In terms of month-on-month changes, Politico posted the largest drop, falling 23% to 24 million visits (down 27% year-on-year). Al Jazeera also saw a 22% month-on-month decline to 18.8 million visits, despite recording the third-highest year-on-year growth at 89%, driven by continued interest in Middle East conflicts.
Conversely, Men’s Journal achieved the highest year-on-year growth at 130%, entering the top 50 ranking at 47th place with 16.3 million visits. India Times followed with 114% year-on-year growth and the biggest month-on-month increase at 56%, reaching 57.6 million visits. Substack remained a notable outlier, showing only a small 2% month-on-month decline but maintaining strong year-on-year growth of 29% to 93.8 million visits, rising to seventh place in the rankings.
The data highlights ongoing volatility in digital news consumption, with most top sites struggling against declining referrals, while specific niches and international brands capitalize on current events or platform shifts.
