How popular isThe Wall Street Journal?
In September 2026, people searched for The Wall Street Journal by name about 1.8 million times worldwide, a 17.9% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 14.3% of all global newspaper searches, placing The Wall Street Journal third out of seven newspapers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about newspapers, The Wall Street Journal appeared in four of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the seven.
The Wall Street Journal is the third most searched of 7 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.
The GuardianShare of searches 32.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
The New York TimesShare of searches 31.5%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
The Wall Street JournalShare of searches 14.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
The Washington PostShare of searches 10.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
Financial TimesShare of searches 4.3%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top newspapers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Wall Street Journal was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. The Wall Street Journal is the second most recommended of the seven.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- The New York Times4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- The Wall Street Journal4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- The Washington Post3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- The Guardian1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Financial Times1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
The Times0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
The Telegraph0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about newspapers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which newspaper should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best newspaper brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best newspaper for daily news?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“newspapers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“daily newspaper”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Which newspapers compete with The Wall Street Journal?
Share of searches by month for The Guardian, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | The Guardian | The New York Times | The Wall Street Journal | The Washington Post | Financial Times | The Times | The Telegraph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.8% | 28.4% | 15.7% | 15% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 2.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.8% | 30.4% | 14.6% | 13.1% | 4% | 4.9% | 3.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.6% | 30.2% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 2.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 28% | 33.6% | 13.7% | 15.1% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.7% | 31.3% | 13.6% | 14.6% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 29.8% | 30.3% | 16.2% | 13.6% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.4% | 29.9% | 16.6% | 12.6% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.2% |
| May 2026 | 31.2% | 30.7% | 15.3% | 10.6% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.7% | 28.1% | 15% | 11.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.4% | 27.8% | 14.9% | 11.1% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.5% | 29.2% | 14.9% | 11.1% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.1% | 31.5% | 14.3% | 10.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 32.1% | 4.1M | 0% | -1.5 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 31.5% | 4M | +12.9% | +2.3 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 14.3% | 1.8M | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 10.6% | 1.4M | 0% | -0.5 points | |
| 5, moved from 6th to 5th | 4.3% | 551K | +22.2% | +0.6 pointsmoved from 6th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 4.3% | 550K | 0% | -0.2 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | 2.9% | 368K | 0% | -0.1 points |
32.1%
Held 1st. 4.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.5 points.
31.5%
Held 2nd. 4M estimated branded searches, +12.9% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.
14.3%
Held 3rd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
10.6%
Held 4th. 1.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
4.3%
Moved from 6th to 5th. 551K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
4.3%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 550K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
2.9%
Held 7th. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Compare popularity between The Wall Street Journal and its closest rivals
- The Wall Street Journal vs The Guardian: compare popularity
- The Wall Street Journal vs The New York Times: compare popularity
- The Wall Street Journal vs The Washington Post: compare popularity
- The Wall Street Journal vs Financial Times: compare popularity
- The Wall Street Journal vs The Times: compare popularity
- Compare The Wall Street Journal with any brand
Every comparison with The Wall Street Journal
6 comparisons
How has branded search demand for The Wall Street Journal changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for The Wall Street Journal worldwide fell from 2.2M to 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Wall Street Journal’s share of searches among newspapers worldwide decreased from 15.7% to 14.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Wall Street Journal’s share of searches among newspapers worldwide peaked at 16.6% in April 2026 and was lowest at 13.6% in February 2026.
How did search popularity change for newspapers worldwide in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Financial Times overtook The Times to rank 5th among newspapers worldwide, with 4.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, The New York Times gained share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 29.2% to 31.5%.
In September 2026, The Guardian lost share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 33.5% to 32.1%.
In September 2026, The Wall Street Journal lost share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 14.9% to 14.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for The Washington Post worldwide fell 36.4% over 12 measured months, from 2.1M to 1.4M in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for The Times worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 673K to 550K in September 2026.
How are The Wall Street Journal’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The Wall Street Journal’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- wall street journal
- wsj
Who owns The Wall Street Journal?
The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corp. Brandwave does not track any other brands owned by News Corp.
Do you work for The Wall Street Journal? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Is The Wall Street Journal your brand?
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