The Memo Insights team is made up of data analysts responsible for digging into readership data for the latest news cycles, diving deeper into platform-wide readership trends (macro news trends), and answering some of our customers’ most pressing strategy questions.
Every quarter, we share some of our favorite findings, whether it be an interesting discovery or a fun topic. Here are our favorites from the last 3 months:
1. Corporate DE&I Rollbacks Come With Real Risk
Nikki: Major companies like Target and McDonald’s faced intense scrutiny — and massive readership — after scaling back their DE&I commitments. Those moves alone generated 30M readers, while the resulting boycotts and backlash brought in another 19.2M.
Key Takeaway: Walking back DE&I efforts doesn’t just invite criticism — it invites attention. And with that comes brand risk.
2. UVMs Still Don’t Tell You Anything About Article Performance
Eva: In an analysis from our 2025 State of Media & Readership Report, we compared similar articles from the same publisher (TechCrunch) with the same UVM (6.8M)… and found a 16x difference in actual readership. One article surrounding the CrowdStrike outage had just 2K readers, while another had 33K.
Key Takeaway: UVMs are a flawed proxy. You need article-level readership data to understand which stories actually moved the needle.
3. Local News Still Moves the Needle
Nikki: In a recent analysis for a larger retailer, we found that one-third of local readership came from just four states: Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and North Carolina. These weren’t driven by national campaigns or big brand announcements. Instead, the highest-read stories centered around recalls, incidents, and disruptions that directly affected local communities.
Key Takeaway: For national retailers, local media is more than just a distribution channel—it’s a reputational anchor that can help a brand stay responsive, resilient, and relevant, even in moments of risk.
4. CEO compensation gets clicks—especially during crises
Nikki: Stories about CEO pay drove the highest total readership in 2024, especially when there was a clear disconnect between executive wealth and company performance. Boeing and Tesla were two of the most-read examples. Check out the 2025 State of Media & Readership report to see the full analysis.
Key Takeaway: Readers notice when executive pay doesn’t align with reality. Transparency is crucial in times of scrutiny.
5. Human Interest and Viral Moments Capture Attention
Eva: We recently helped a client pinpoint which content categories and angles drive the highest engagement. Our analysis found that Human Interest stories and Viral Moments consistently outperform other coverage areas in terms of average readership.
Key Takeaway: Consumers are most eager to read emotionally compelling and human stories. Brands looking to boost visibility should consider leaning into these themes when relevant.
Stay tuned for more from the Insights Team in the next few weeks and for another rundown of our favorite findings at the end of the quarter! In the meantime, you can always find the latest research in our Resource Center.