The Guardian has suffered a significant decline in online engagement since its decision to quit Twitter (now known as X), new figures reveal.
In January 2025, the left-wing newspaper recorded 761.3 million minutes spent on its content – a staggering 28% drop compared to the same month last year.
The decline comes just a couple of months after The Guardian announced it would stop posting on the platform, citing concerns over misinformation and Elon Musk’s leadership.
The dramatic fall suggests the decision to abandon Twitter / X may have backfired, cutting The Guardian off from millions of potential readers who rely on the social media site for news updates.
Massive Hit to Engagement
According to industry analysts, the newspaper’s traffic from direct visits and organic searches has remained strong, but the loss of exposure on Twitter / X has had an undeniable impact.
“Twitter was a major traffic driver for The Guardian, especially for breaking news stories,” a digital media expert told the Conservative and Reformer Post. “By leaving the platform, they have essentially reduced their visibility at a time when competition for online readership is fiercer than ever.”
The Guardian’s stance on Twitter followed similar moves by US broadcasters NPR and PBS, which also distanced themselves from the platform. However, while some critics applauded the newspaper for taking a stand, others have questioned whether the move was a costly miscalculation.
Elon Musk’s X Empire Thrives
Meanwhile, Twitter’s owner Elon Musk has continued to champion his version of a “free speech” platform, with X showing resilience despite the loss of major media accounts.
Some experts argue that The Guardian’s departure only served to weaken its reach, rather than inflicting any damage on X itself. The platform remains a key battleground for political and cultural debates, with figures from across the political spectrum still actively engaging with content.
Can The Guardian Recover?
Despite the slump, The Guardian insists that it remains committed to independent journalism and alternative methods of reaching readers. The publication continues to rely heavily on subscriptions, direct traffic, and organic search.
However, some industry insiders argue that The Guardian may need to reassess its digital strategy in the wake of its declining engagement. A former Guardian journalist, speaking to The Post, was highly critical of the decision to leave X.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re regretting this move. They had over ten million followers on Twitter, and walking away from that kind of reach makes no sense,” the ex-Guardian staffer said. “It’s hard to see how they thought this would benefit them. They’ve essentially cut themselves off from one of the world’s biggest news platforms, and for what? It just looks like a self-inflicted wound on a struggling newspaper.”
The media expert added: “The Guardian has always been popular with politically engaged audiences. But if they’re not in the conversation where it’s happening, they risk becoming less relevant over time.”
For now, it remains to be seen whether The Guardian will reverse its decision or continue down a path that has already led to a noticeable decline in its readership figures.
Source: The data indicating that The Guardian recorded 761.3 million minutes spent on its content in January 2025—a 28% decrease from the same month in the previous year—comes from an analysis by Press Gazette. This analysis is based on Ipsos iris data, which measures the total unduplicated number of people who used a brand’s websites and apps in a given month, encompassing all traffic, not exclusively news content. pressgazette.co.uk
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