Melania Trump, David Icke and Suzanne Moore: Press Gazette’s most-read stories of 2020

Donald Trump was the gift that kept on giving for journalists in 2020, and Press Gazette’s most-read stories list of the year shows that we-too were not immune from the Trump effect.

Our coverage of a legal dispute between Melania Trump and the Daily Telegraph was our most-read piece for 2020 with 138,000 views (helped by a retweet from the First Lady herself).

Other highlights of the year include William Turvill’s must-read deep dive into how the tech giants make money from peddling dangerous conspiracy theories.

When he asked conspiracy theorist David Icke to comment on our findings that he was making oodles of cash by promoting ideas which can only really be described as batshit. He said: “William – you are just another mindless prat believing whatever you are told and calling it ‘journalism’.”

Here’s Press Gazette’s top-ten most-read pieces of the year (with traffic numbers). Gratifyingly they are nearly all exclusives.

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1) Journalist to appeal ruling that Telegraph apology over her Melania Trump reporting was not defamatory

• 4 September (138,000 views)

2) Cash for conspiracies: How David Icke, ‘alternative’ media and tech giants make money from coronavirus conspiracies

• 3 June (56,000)

3) Number 10 changes story after saying journalists would be excluded from daily Covid-19 briefing

• 11 May (55,000)

4) BBC backs Laura Kuenssberg after complaints over tweet ‘defending’ Dominic Cummings

• 27 May (48,000)

5) Harry and Meghan are ‘professional victims’ says Sun journalist who broke royal split story

• 10 January (39,000)

6) Suzanne Moore leaves Guardian months after staff send letter of revolt over ‘transphobic content’

• 17 November (38,000)

7) ITV News editor Geoff Hill issues emotional message to staff as illness forces him to step down

• 30 September (37,000)

8) Nicola Sturgeon voted ‘most impressive politician’ during Covid-19 crisis by Press Gazette readers

• 19 May (33,000)

9) Gina Miller loses discrimination complaint over ‘monkeys’ line in Rod Liddle Sunday Times column

• 14 February (32,000)

10) Sun ‘sick’ of ‘woke’ claim Harry and Meghan coverage is racist as papers react to royal split

• 10 January (29,000)

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