Breitbart News has emerged as a dominant force in digital media engagement, ranking in the top ten publishers on both Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) during the first quarter of 2025, according to NewsWhip’s latest analysis. The report credits a major algorithm shift at Facebook for driving a 200% increase in news content engagement compared to the same period last year, with conservative outlets leading the charge.
NewsWhip identified what it called a “right-wing ascendant” trend, noting Breitbart News and Newsmax outperformed nearly all legacy media brands. Breitbart’s engagement on Facebook topped 31 million interactions—placing it ahead of the New York Times, NBC News, Daily Mail, and Newsmax. One Breitbart post on X alone garnered over 121,000 likes, illustrating the platform’s resonance with its audience.
Fox News claimed the top spot on Facebook with 115 million engagements, a 743% jump from Q1 2024, but it did not place any posts in the top 10 individual performers. Breitbart’s success, by contrast, was driven by strong post-level impact, not just volume.
Breitbart’s rise coincided with President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. In his first week back, Breitbart News amassed over 2.7 million Facebook interactions—beating the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and others by wide margins. At the time, Breitbart held just 4.4 million page likes, far fewer than its corporate competitors, yet still outperformed them.
On the X platform, Breitbart also made the top tier, ahead of major outlets like the Associated Press, Sky News, Al Jazeera, and ABC News. Bleacher Report ranked first in total X engagement, but conservative outlets showed consistent strength across platforms.
NewsWhip emphasized the broader trend of conservative media gaining traction, stating right-leaning publishers “saw sustained success” in the quarter. This shift in engagement patterns highlights the increasing appetite for alternative perspectives online, as legacy outlets lose influence despite larger followings.
President Trump’s influence remains strong across social media, with the report noting he “drives hard news engagement” on Instagram. TikTok was labeled the dominant news platform overall, with ESPN ranking highest across all platforms.
Breitbart’s continued dominance reflects a growing rejection of legacy media narratives and a shift toward platforms that echo the values and concerns of conservative Americans. Editor-in-chief Alex Marlow celebrated the milestone, stating, “It’s exciting, though not a huge surprise, to see our crew dominate billion-dollar media conglomerates.”
