Morning Consult’s Most-Read Stories of 2020

In a year of news coverage dominated by the coronavirus and the elections, Morning Consult’s most-read piece in 2020 was about the runner-up in the Democratic presidential primary.

The story of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ tight primary win in New Hampshire -- and ultimately short-lived status as the Democratic Party’s front-runner -- outpaced every story about President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden, COVID-19 and all other pandemic-related topics in an exceedingly hectic year for news.

Trump did make his mark in plenty of other Morning Consult articles throughout the year, however, particularly in polling stories from our Washington vertical assessing the 2020 race and in data-driven pieces under our health banner that covered public opinions on his handling of the coronavirus. Stories about universal health care and "Medicare for All" also drew attention during the pandemic.

The politics-health dynamic carried over to our brands coverage, which delivered highly read stories on cable news and on consumer attitudes about activities and trends tied to the pandemic. In our entertainment vertical, politics in the form of late-night talk shows and debates won the day, though readers also made room for two unrelated and indisputably joyful topics: former One Direction star Harry Styles and the “Bachelor” franchise.

In tech and energy policy, the jockeying among lawmakers and stakeholders for inclusion in early coronavirus aid packages moved the meter with readers. Polling stories on topics such as QAnon and pandemic misinformation also attracted our tech audience, while energy readers were drawn to data pieces on climate change’s effect on family planning and a potential oil and gas bailout.

Finance, meanwhile, was dominated by stories from a series looking at COVID-19 as the second economic setback in a generation for millennials. The piece that sparked the most interest covered the regret millennials felt over taking on student debt.

And in sports, a data-driven exploration into the industry’s losing battle to capture Gen Z audiences and a demographic deep dive into league fan bases’ views on racial justice advocacy garnered the most interest.

Here’s a look at the top five most-read stories in 2020 from each of Morning Consult’s eight verticals.

Washington

1) Sanders Cements Front-Runner Status After New Hampshire Win

2) Can You Locate Iran? Few Voters Can.

3) How Voters Grade Trump, Three Years Into His Presidency

4) Trump Pulls Closer to Biden After RNC

5) Arizona Stands Out From a Mostly Static Presidential Race in Battleground States

Brands

1) News Media Credibility Rating Falls to a New Low

2) When Consumers Say They’ll Feel OK About Dining Out and Other Activities

3) Brands Are Speaking Out on Black Lives Matter. How Are Consumers Going to Respond?

4) Face Masks in High Demand, but Consumers Say They Want to Pay Only $1 for One

5) Fox News’ Popularity Slips Among Republicans in Wake of Election

Energy

1) House Democrats Push for Renewable Energy Tax Credits in Coronavirus Stimulus

2) Considered Essential, Utilities Sound Alarm on Worker Safety, Lack of COVID-19 Testing

3) 1 in 4 Childless Adults Say Climate Change Has Factored Into Their Reproductive Decisions

4) Letter From House Democrats Urges Aid for Renewables in Coronavirus Stimulus

5) Public More Receptive to Oil and Gas Bailout Than the Industry Itself

Entertainment

1) As Late-Night Hosts Get Political, Audiences Get Divided

2) For Harry Styles, TMI Is a Four-Letter Word — and Gen Z Influencers Should Take Note

3) What Voters Want Out of Tonight’s Debate Moderator, Fox News’ Chris Wallace, and Future Moderators

4) Will You Accept These Followers?

5) Gayle King’s Favorability Takes a Hit After Interview Controversy

Finance

1) Amid Pandemic, Millennials Increasingly Believe Their Student Debt Wasn’t Worth Their College Education

2) Millennials and the Economy: Coronavirus Is the Second Setback in a Generation

3) Concern Over Coronavirus’ Economic Impact Continues to Climb

4) Millennials Were Already Putting Off Having Children. Then the Pandemic Hit.

5) Going Into Election Day, Voters Narrowly Place Blame for Collapse of Stimulus Talks on GOP, Trump

Health

1) As Coronavirus Surges, ‘Medicare for All’ Support Hits 9-Month High

2) 41% of Public More Likely to Support Universal Health Care Amid Pandemic

3) Even as CDC Says Risk of Coronavirus Is Low in U.S., Worry Begins to Spread

4) As Trump Eyes Restarting Economy, Nearly 3 in 4 Voters Support National Quarantine

5) Most U.S. Adults Practice Some Degree of Social Distancing Amid Coronavirus Spread

Sports

1) The Sports Industry’s Gen Z Problem

2) Demographic Data Shows Which Major Sports Fan Bases Are Most Likely to Support or Reject Social Justice Advocacy

3) Defying Coronavirus Guidance on Gatherings Raises Legal Concerns for Teams

4) Fans Expect Sports to Come Back Before They’ll Be Comfortable Filling Venues

5) Houston Astros’ Brand Suffers Amid Fallout From Cheating Scandal

Tech

1) Video Calling Prompts Privacy Concerns as Pandemic Drives Work, Education Online

2) 1 in 4 Social Media Users Who Have Heard of QAnon Say Its Conspiracy Theories Are at Least Somewhat Accurate

3) Telecom Industry, Broadband Advocates Push for Internet Subsidies in Next Stimulus

4) Social Media Users Think Politicians Should Pay Heavy Price for Spreading False COVID-19 Information

5) How Young, Social Media-Savvy Voters Carried Andrew Yang to Iowa