The No. 1 article on INMA.org for the year — tackling the misinformation surrounding print newspapers and COVID-19 — is the most-read article ever published on INMA.org. I remember in mid-March, as lockdowns rolled across the world and began in the United States, INMA CEO/Executive Director Earl J. Wilkinson saying he was going to look into the issue of the virus and print, that he’d been hearing a lot about it from INMA members. 

It is sometimes difficult to remember how little we knew about the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic. But fear of getting it from surfaces like a printed newspaper was widespread, especially in countries like India where print is the primary way consumers get their news. We were all getting a fast education on virology, and Earl jumped in to write the global industry’s definitive article on the subject in the moment.

Interestingly, only four of our top 10 articles this year were COVID specific. Our other top articles focused on the future (according to The New York Times and INMA president Damian Eales), digital engagement, paid content, reducing churn, and research on trust.

Disclaimer: These top 10 skip over our Global Media Awards finalists and winners announcements, as well as two new award announcements this year — our “30 Under 30 Awards” and Elevate Scholarship winners. While these are in our top-read articles, these 10 better explain INMA’s year in content:

1. Zero incidents of COVID-19 transmission from print surfaces (by INMA CEO/Executive Director Earl J. Wilkinson). 

2. New York Times CEO shares his guide to thriving in the next decade (by INMA Editor Shelley Seale).  

3. Why INMA matters most in 2020 (by INMA President Damian Eales).

4. Wall Street Journal’s pivot to virtual events reveals new audiences, rich data (By Wall Street Journal General Manager of Live Journalism and Events Leigh Gilmore).

5. Reducing churn in the first 100 days at Wall Street Journal (By Wall Street Journal Associate Director of Optimization Ian Tucker). 

6. The short-and long-term impact of COVID-19 to news publishers (by FTI Consulting Managing Director Ken Harding).

7. Research: what readers want in a story (by Center for Media Engagement Marketing Specialist Katalina Deaven). 

8. 7 ways publishers can help their advertisers right now (by Prohaska Consulting Vice President/Publisher Operations and Tech Strategy Ameet Shah).

9. 3 media companies share tactics for digital reader engagement (by INMA Editor Shelley Seale). 

10. Times of London shares 10 lessons learned in a decade of paid content (by INMA Editor Shelley Seale).

We certainly we never forget this year — personally or professionally. The changing of the actual year at the end of this week will not change anything about the pandemic, yet we can all see light at the end of the tunnel. 

Heads up: We are kicking the year off with a January 6 Webinar featuring Almar Latour, chief executive officer of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Latour will discuss the year ahead in media. You do not want to miss this and it’s free, of course, to INMA members. 

2021, we’re ready for you. 

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