Happy New Year, Newsers.
As the smoke clears from the many fireworks that illuminated the sky and the confetti is swept up, the news media landscape in 2026 remains uncertain. The evolution of CBS News and who owns CNN will certainly generate significant digital discourse over the new year.
Before we embark on that journey, TVNewser is looking back one last time at 2025 with its own end-of-year list, highlighting the top five news stories on the platform.
Change was the year’s biggest theme, with readers interested in network shake-ups and transitions.
1. Lester Holt Makes 1st Public Remarks Since Announcing Departure From NBC Nightly News
Though Lester Holt, the former NBC Nightly News anchor, stepped down from the evening news franchise on May 30, he announced his departure in February 2025. Still, his first public remarks since announcing his departure generated the most interest within the TVNewser universe. Holt reflected on his then-upcoming departure from behind the Nightly News desk.
2. Who’s in and Who’s out at MSNBC as SpinCo Spin-Off Looms
Our revolving door feature on the talent shake-up following NBCUniversal’s spin-off of the majority of its cable networks to Versant was the second-most-read post in 2025. With NBC News and MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) parting ways, it created a unique situation in which on- and off-air talent from both networks had to decide which ship to join. TVNewser maintained a running list of the Newsers who would be part of MS NOW and those who would remain with NBC News.
3. Flashback: Connie Chung Revisits the Interview That Ended Her CBS News Career
Readers appreciated TVNewser’s January journey back in time with the legendary news anchor Connie Chung. Speaking with our former editor, Ethan Alter, Chung recalled a tough lesson she learned about the news business: uttering a certain five-letter word during a high-profile interview that spelled the end of her storied CBS News career.
4. Analysis: Can MSNBC Afford to Have Rachel Maddow Return to a Monday-Only Schedule?
With President Donald Trump serving a second term, MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, had Rachel Maddow anchor her 9 p.m. ET show five days a week during the president’s first 100 days. At the midpoint of that run in March, TVNewser examined whether it was prudent to return Maddow to a once-a-week schedule, as her presence during that period had driven the network to double-digit growth in primetime and total day.
