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The Top Ten New Yorker Stories of 2019

Our readers’ favorite articles, by Jane Mayer, Ronan Farrow, and many more. View in browser | Update your preferences Every year, we publish a list of readers’ favorite New Yorker pieces, and every year we encounter the same problem: there’s no precise way to measure popularity online. Or, perhaps more accurately, there are multiple ways, and they each tell a different story. Unique visitors—the sheer number of people who have landed on a story—is the bluntest of metrics. For publications sustained by advertising revenue, this number is key, because each visit, no matter how brief, generates some incremental amount of revenue. But the number fails to capture whether these readers stick around and form any kind of loyalty to a publication. Engaged minutes, the term for the total amount of time that readers spend on a piece, is more helpful. But even this metric, however gratifying, doesn’t fully capture The New Yorker’s ambition to be a valued daily destination for news and cultural coverage, ideas and arguments, fiction and poetry, and humor. As a result, I’ve been intrigued by a new measurement tool, developed by Condé Nast’s data-science team, that tracks all of the pieces someone reads on the way to subscribing to the magazine. This “subscription contribution,” as we call it, is a useful way of understanding what our audience values most about The New Yorker—not just what readers are willing to pay for but what sparks a lasting relationship with them. That seems like as good a definition for “favorite” as any. What’s on this year’s top-stories list, based on their subscription-contribution scores? A diverse collection of pieces that includes ambitious investigative reporting, personal histories, cultural criticism, commentary, interviews, and essays. I particularly love the fact that the list collectively embodies what The New Yorker is today. It’s nearly evenly split between pieces that were published in the weekly magazine and online only. There are triumphs of investigative reporting, a glorious riff on Keanu Reeves, an interview with Linda Ronstadt, and a profile of a philosopher whose work focusses on equality as the basis for a free society. Enjoy them all. And please subscribe! —Michael Luo, editor of newyorker.com A Reporter at Large The Case of Al Franken A close look at the accusations against the former senator. By Jane Mayer A Reporter at Large The Making of the Fox News White House Fox News has always been partisan. But has it become propaganda? By Jane Mayer Annals of the Former World The Day the Dinosaurs Died A young paleontologist may have discovered a record of the most significant event in the history of life on Earth. By Douglas Preston News Desk How an Élite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein Documents show that the M.I.T. Media Lab was aware of Epstein’s status as a convicted sex offender. By Ronan Farrow Cultural Comment What If We Stopped Pretending? The climate apocalypse is coming. To prepare for it, we need to admit that we can’t prevent it. By Jonathan Franzen Personal History A Battle for My Life I had just finished filming Season 1 of “Game of Thrones.” Then I was struck with the first of two aneurysms. By Emilia Clarke A Reporter at Large Will Hunter Biden Jeopardize His Father’s Campaign? Joe Biden’s son is under scrutiny for his business dealings and tumultuous personal life. By Adam Entous Profiles A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions Dan Mallory, who writes under the name A. J. Finn, went to No. 1 with his début thriller, “The Woman in the Window.” His life contains even stranger twists. By Ian Parker Annals of Law Alan Dershowitz, Devil’s Advocate The noted lawyer’s long, controversial career—and the accusations against him. By Connie Bruck Dept. of First Principles The Art of Decision-Making Your life choices aren’t just about what you want to do; they’re about who you want to be. By Joshua Rothman 2019 in Review The Top Twenty-Five New Yorker Stories of 2019 Among the others are an interview with a Harvard astronomer about a mysterious object travelling through our solar system. By Michael Luo Sign up for more newsletters from The New Yorker. Visit The New Yorker shop. Question about your subscription? Contact Customer Care. New Yorker digital subscribers get unlimited access to everything on newyorker.com. Log in to your account here. We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions to TNYinbox@newyorker.com. This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, NewYorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2019. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.