"Atop Chartbeat's list is Fox News' version of the story on the mysterious deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, who were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with their dog, in February. Three stories about the Oscar-winning actor's death made Chartbeat's Top 20, including a BBC report at No. 5 and another Fox story at No. 19."
"As the gruesome story later unfolded, investigators believe Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from rodent-borne hantavirus, and Hackman died about a week later from complications of heart disease and Alzheimer's. The untimely deaths of celebrities often rank highly on the most-read story lists. In 2023, Chartbeat's top story was from the Los Angeles Times, about "Friends" star Matthew Perry's ketamine death."
Chartbeat analyzed 41 million pieces of content from major media clients including Fox News, CNN, The New York Times and the BBC to compile its list of most engaging stories in 2025. Fox News’ report on the mysterious deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife topped engagement, with three Hackman stories in the Top 20. Investigators believe Betsy Arakawa died from rodent-borne hantavirus and that Hackman died a week later from complications of heart disease and Alzheimer’s; his wife had been his primary caregiver. The assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and major political scandals also drew intense reader interest.
Read at Poynter
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]