ABC News topped the online news rankings in January with an audience of 12.14 million, according to Ipsos data.
News.com.au (12.05 million) was second, followed by nine.com.au (9.266 million).
Ipsos iris data shows 20.7 million people used a news website or app in January, reaching 93.4% of online Australians aged 14 and over, down slightly on the same time last year at 97.5%.
Australians spent an average of 5.14 hours consuming news in January, compared to 5.09 hours per month for the same time last year.
Australians turned to news websites and apps for updates on major local and international news events.
Nationally, the 2026 Australian Open captured readers' attention with coverage of the year's first Grand Slam driving sharp spikes in audience reach throughout the tournament, while weather incidents, particularly bushfires in Victoria and heatwaves across NSW and Victoria, drove people to online news.
The rolling, service-oriented coverage, including maps, alerts and transport disruptions, sustained high audience attention over multiple days.
Other local news stories included the Mosman Park double murder-suicide tragedy, the death of a 12-year-old Sydney boy from a shark attack, and Triple J's annual Hottest 100.
Globally, stories related to Home Alone and Schitt's Creek actress Catherine O'Hara's death garnered interest, along with the crisis in Venezuela, including explosions in Caracas and the US operation leading to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, the Swiss Alps ski resort bar fire, which left several people dead and injured, and the Nipah virus outbreak across India and Asia.
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