Your favorite economy and business stories of 2020 – and ours

In 2020, business and economy news was dominated by the coronavirus and its severe impact on work, workers and how we work. We covered the topic from dozens of angles, two of which are my desk’s most-read stories of the year.

My favorite story of 2020, however, predates the pandemic and connects to a topic that feels like it’s been largely drowned out by the tumult of the coronavirus and the election: #MeToo. It also comes from one of my regulars, Liz Tippett at the University of Oregon, who examined fears that men in the workplace could be accused of “accidentally” harassing a female colleague.

“To be honest, it kind of drives me crazy,” she wrote about these fears, explaining that an innocent if awkward moment won’t turn someone into another Harvey Weinstein.

One year-end request: As we close our books on 2020, a reminder that your support is what lets us bring the public reliable, fact-based journalism. Hundreds of readers have already given to our end-of-the-year fundraising campaign, but if you’ve been putting it off, The Conversation U.S.‘s board will match your donation two dollars for every dollar, up to a total of $12,500 in gifts before the New Year.