Which stories of the summer have Americans cared most about?

The news cycle has been busy this summer.

From President Donald Trump’s return to the White House to Taylor Swift’s engagement, there’s been no limit of stories for the news to report on. But out of everything, which stories have garnered the most traction among the American public?

Using data collected by the Ipsos Consumer Tracker between April and August, we can see the stories Americans know and care most about, as well as the stories Americans don’t.

Below are five charts on the stories Americans are paying the most attention to and the stories Americans care most about.

1. The information landscape. Tariff turmoil was the story Americans both heard and cared most about. On the other hand, stories like the Coldplay jumbotron incident seemed to reverberate but didn’t resonate.
2. Which stories are breaking through? Again, tariffs and their impact were among the top stories among Americans this summer. Trump’s Ukraine summit and Texas and California’s redistricting battle also garnered a lot of attention.
3. Stories Americans wish they heard more about. In 2023, climate stories were the most well-known and cared-about stories of the summer. Climate news this summer hasn’t been as busy as it was in 2023, but climate-related stories still pique Americans’ attention. Few Americans heard about rising CEO pay, but it was still a story that captured their attention when asked.
4. Dirty laundry. What about the quality of news Americans generally see? Mostly negative. It’s no surprise that a majority of Americans are consistently pessimistic about the overall direction of the country.
5. Opposing information ecospheres. Perceptions of the economy are particularly sensitive to partisanship. Indeed, one explanation is Americans’ opposing information ecospheres: right now, Republicans are seeing more neutral news on the economy, while the news Democrats are seeing is much more negative.

This summer, stories about tariffs, Ukraine, and the Texas-California redistricting battle were among the episodes Americans both knew and cared most about.

Meanwhile, stories like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement or the Coldplay jumbotron incident were widely recognized, but not as cared about.

Zooming out, it’s worth remembering that Americans’ information diets, especially on politicized topics, vary widely. Americans may hear about the same stories, but in entirely contrasting ways. This is reflected in Americans’ diverging perception of things like climate change and the economy.