Social and news media feeds are frothing over Time magazine’s Person of the Year, and Time’s unpopular choice for 2024 made global news. Many comments suggest other candidates, touted as more “deserving” than America’s polarizing and combative president-elect.
Critics are missing the point of the choice.
Many years ago I was part of the (very large) team at Time that filed nominations and contributed research for the “Person of the Year.” The criteria are clear: the PoY designation is not an accolade, but rather an acknowledgement of impact. Saints, sinners and non-humans are all potential candidates. The PoY, explains Time, is “the individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months.”
“For better or for worse” is the key phrase.
Donald Trump was not a difficult choice, said Time. “Since he began running for President in 2015, perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history …
“On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us—from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics—are living in the Age of Trump.”
Did I note “for better or for worse?”
The incoming American president clearly warrants this year’s PoY designation, from a short list of 10 candidates. Love him or hate him, the choice is obvious: his impact is HUGE.
There’s good and bad about the reaction.
The bad? The fuss shows that people just don’t get the mission of journalism, which is to report on what is happening, to the best of our ability.
The good news? The fuss suggests that Time, and maybe traditional journalism, remains relevant in our age of streaming, junk news, disinformation, and anti-social media.
The froth over the PoY choice suggest that people still pay attention to journalism despite widespread public scorn for all forms of curated, authoritative, informed or evidence-based enterprise. That would be the glass-half-full take on the reaction.
I’d find cause for actual optimism if more people considered the rationale for the choice, and critiqued it in the context of the role of journalism, instead of assuming everything is a popularity contest.
Links:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Person_of_the_Year
You must be logged in to post a comment.