Year in Review: The 10 Most-Viewed Beyond Bylines Posts of 2019

2019 was another record-breaking year for Beyond Bylines. For the third year in a row, our blog was named to Feedspot’s list of the Top 50 Journalism Blogs & Websites. We’re incredibly honored to be in the company of such prestigious outlets.

The writing team at Beyond Bylines strives to make our blog a go-to source of the latest media industry news, journalism trends, writing tips, and more.

Of the posts published in 2019, lists of the top news sites in a particular industry have several spots on the most-viewed list. We love recognizing sites that create some of the strongest content out there on a specific topic, so we’re happy to see these posts resonating!

Rounding out the list: AP Style rule reminders, a list of helpful tools for journalists and bloggers, and some reading recommendations.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Black Media Powerhouses: 10 African-American News Leaders to Watch

During Black History Month, we celebrated journalists of color working in newsrooms across the country. Author Brett Simon compiled this list of award-winning journalists that cover a range of topics for print, digital, and broadcast outlets.

2. 10 more AP Stylebook changes and reminders to know about

In late 2018, we introduced a quarterly AP Style recap to our post rotation, and these are consistently some of our most popular posts. This particular edition from March covered style guide rules for month abbreviations, augmented reality vs. virtual reality, and more.

3. 14 AP Style Rules to Remember: Everyday Stylebook Reminders You Can Use Every Day

The June edition of the AP Style reminders included notes on commonly confused words (dessert vs. desert; cannon vs. canon; insure vs. ensure) and italics. With the AP Style rules changing regularly, we’re glad that we can help content creators stay up to date on the latest updates.

4. These 9 Asian American News Sites Offer Unique Coverage of This Diverse Community

To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, author Nicole Howard recognized nine sites telling unique stories by and about the Asian Pacific American communities. For a few of these sites, this was their first time on our best-of list; others also were recognized in our 2018 round-up.

5. Fighting for Future Journalists: 10 College Newspapers We Love

College newspapers are the training grounds for future journalists. They also must deal with many of the same challenges as other print publications: rising costs and reduced ad revenue. In time for back-to-school, author Alexa Hoffman recognized a few of our favorite college newspapers that are publishing important stories from up-and-coming journalists who will be shaping the future of media.

6. Celebrating Black History & Culture: Top 10 African American Lifestyle Sites for Men and Women

“The cultural gifts African Americans have given to our society span all areas from the arts and sciences to entertainment and style.” Another post to celebrate Black History Month, this one from Nicole Howard recognized some of the top news sites for African American men and women. The outlets cover a range of topics including pop culture, relationships, sports, health, and fashion.

7. 84 of the Most Useful and Unique Tools for Journalists and Bloggers

That’s not a typo — we really have 84 digital journalism tools that can help make your day easier and your stories more impactful. Tools on the list help journalists and bloggers with everything from story research to proofreading, multimedia creation and social media management. Bookmark the list and let us know what tools you find helpful!

8. Semantic Search: How to Write Content That Anticipates Searchers’ Needs

“More and more, search engines are utilizing complex semantic search algorithms to divine both meaning and context from a user’s query. But how does that actually work – and what does it mean for content creators?” Author Tiana Gibbs discusses why using natural language in your writing is necessary for your blog post or article to show up in search results and appeal to readers.

9. 6 Books Every Journalist Should Read

We participated in National Book Month (October) by creating a list of some of our favorite books by and for journalists. The nonfiction works cover a variety of topics —  labor, Watergate, happiness, and more — via impressive investigative reporting. We received some great recommendations for other books to add to the list. What are some of your favorites?

10. These 10 sites are overflowing with beer, wine, and spirits news

National Drink Wine Day and National Margarita Day are just a few of the internet holidays dedicated to the celebration of alcoholic beverages. The news sites on this list are some of the most trusted in the $200 billion industry.

We look forward to providing even more useful content in 2020! Have something you’d like us to cover? Let us know in the comments or tweet our team at @BeyondBylines.

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Rocky Parker works in Audience Relations at PR Newswire. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines and connect on LinkedIn. When she’s not working, Rocky typically can be found cooking, binge watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.