That was before Covid-19 came knocking.
Against the backdrop of an unchecked pandemic, rage on American streets and uncertainty about the fortitude of a superpower, the world looked to see which way the USA would go.
The Interpreter followed this highly unpredictable scenario with a keen eye and fair share of prescient observations, and the occasional miss when the crystal ball malfunctioned.
The nomination of former vice president Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate brought things into clearer focus after a long season of Democratic debates and primaries.
Back in August, Mark Beeson wondered whether the Trump-Biden contest was “the most important election ever”:
The Interpreter took on a certain edge.
It was thrilling to see the value readers put in our articles to help them try to make sense of a year of extraordinary international flux. Our audience remains strong in Australia, yet was proportionally less of the total again this year, with a growing share coming from the US, India, Southeast Asian nations, Papua New Guinea and increasingly China. We see this as a strong reflection of the breadth and enduring relevance of our content.
Here’s a countdown of the top 10 articles read the most in 2020. We’re having an end of year break, with select highlights from the year to appear between now and 11 January, when normal publishing will resume. All the best for the season! – Eds