Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ
What were the most popular stories of the year on RNZ? They included major breaking news events, but there was also a lot of talk about laundry.
RNZ is setting audience records regularly and is now the third most popular news site in New Zealand.
In November, our digital audience was up to 1.73 million – a new record for unique audience.
RNZ has come close to matching the audience for the New Zealand Herald – 1.92 million for November – and market leader Stuff (2.17m).
Media columnist Tim Murphy of Newsroom has called RNZ’s website “the media performance of the year” and noted it is the best performing news website this year for audience growth.
That’s thanks to all of you, and we’ll continue bringing you the latest headlines and features in 2026. Here are some of the stories that you read the most, and the ones that you spent the most time with on RNZ in 2025.
What you read the most
Our most read stories included some of the year’s biggest news events, including weather storms and the final fate of fugitive Tom Phillips. But it turns out you were also really interested in tips for your laundry routine, and anything about big Lotto winners.
Here’s a list of the top 10 most read stories on RNZ for 2025. Stories without bylines were written by general news staff or our content partners:
1. Live: Marokopa dad Tom Phillips killed in shootout with police (8 September)
2. Three laundry detergents no better than water – Consumer NZ (24 July)
3. Two large retailers preparing to lay off staff as sector far from optimistic by Nona Pelletier (9 September)
4. Weather live: Gales hit Wellington, South Island (23 October)
5. Australian Tradie dies after winning $22 million lotto in NZ and descending into drug underworld (10 June)
6. She’s won Lotto, so where is her money? by Susan Edmunds (13 November)
7. Tsunami activity after 8.8 quake near Russia (30 July)
8. Thousands of bank accounts closed, transferred to Inland Revenue by Susan Edmunds (21 October)
9. How to dry laundry without a dryer when it’s cold or wet outside (3 June)
10. Daylight saving: When it starts, why we have it and how to change the time on your phone (24 September)
What you read the longest
What’s the different between “page views” and “engagement time”? They’re quite different metrics – page views count the number of times a particular story was clicked on, but engagement time counts the length of time users are actively engaged with a story, scrolling, clicking and moving their mouse, et cetera.
Both are valuable metrics and news sites like to consider both in looking at how readers dig in to their content.
Some stories that perhaps didn’t get as many page views still led the field in engaged minutes for RNZ this year, including many essential reads from our In-Depth reporting team and others.
Here’s a look at some of those stories you spent the most engagement time with:
1. In death, Olivia Podmore is finally seen by a system that failed her by Dana Johannsen (24 April)
Just hours after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics ended, elite Kiwi cyclist Olivia Podmore was found dead in a suspected suicide at her Cambridge home. Six months of harrowing coronial hearings have revealed the disturbing truth about her treatment within New Zealand’s national cycling organisation. Sports correspondent Dana Johannsen followed every day of the inquest.
2. Teen was told the crippling stomach pain she suffered was in her head – it wasn’t by Venetia Sherson (8 July)
At the start of last year, 13-year-old Amelia Turner was busy. She had started secondary school, made new friends and enjoyed hanging out with them. Today, Amelia is fed through tubes. She is bed-ridden and one leg is immobile.
3. ‘Awful error’: Two-month-old dies following overdose after pharmacy allegedly gives medication at wrong dosage by Sam Sherwood (28 July)
A two-month-old baby died following an overdose after she was allegedly given medication at an adult dosage by a pharmacy, RNZ revealed. Her grieving parents called for a law change that would make it mandatory for medication to be checked by two people before it is dispensed.
4. ‘Questions about the Marokopa Children as Tom Phillips Killed’ by Kirsty Johnston (8 September)
5. Three laundry detergents no better than water – Consumer NZ (24 July)
6. How the Silver Ferns culture clash reached boiling point by Dana Johannsen (11 September)
The shock decision to stand down netball coach Noeline Taurua marked a dramatic turning point in a months-long dispute between team management and the playing group.
7. ‘Who decided Tom Phillips was safe enough to leave alone with his kids?’ by Kirsty Johnston (12 September)
8. Crippling stomach pain was not in her head – teen has surgery in Germany by Venetia Sherson (21 October)
Following up a popular story earlier in the year, we return to the mysterious case of ailing teenager Amelia Turner and how a surgery in Germany changed everything for her.
9. Mother died in crash after boat and trailer unit from oncoming car broke free by Sam Sherwood (12 August)
A mother driving home to Auckland with her three-year-old son in the back seat was killed when a boat and trailer unit broke free from an oncoming vehicle and slammed into their car. When emergency services arrived, the little boy – who suffered whiplash and bruises – told them his mother was dead and showed them where her phone was so they could contact his family.
10. How does Jenny-May Clarkson feel about leaving TVNZ? by RNZ Sunday Morning (21 November)
As Jenny-May Clarkson signed off from TVNZ, she looked back at the cost of those predawn years and the strength she felt from her late father as she prepared to step away.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
