Overview
- An analysis by Nieman Lab found an 87% drop in snapshots of 100 major news homepages between Jan. 1–May 15 and May 17–Oct. 1, 2025.
- Wayback Machine director Mark Graham confirmed a May failure in specific projects that reduced homepage captures and said some post–May 16 archives remain hidden pending index builds.
- Graham attributed the visibility delays to operational factors tied to resource allocation and said the underlying issue has been fixed.
- Nieman Lab’s Oct. 19 recheck reported that snapshot totals for the test period had declined further since its Oct. 7 review, indicating visible archives have not rebounded.
- The shortfall extends beyond news outlets to government pages, with noted gaps such as Oregon Public Broadcasting’s homepage on the day President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard to Portland.