THE SHORTLIST FOR Time’s 2018 Person of the Year has been announced.
Since 1927, the publication has recognised the person or group of people who most influenced the news and the world — for better or for worse — during the past 12 months.
This year’s nominations are:
US President Donald Trump
Time says Trump marked his second year in office “through navigating crises involving both himself and his staff, attacking an encircling investigation implicating people close to him, and enacting several controversial policies, ranging from separations at the border to an international trade war with China”.
Separated Families
More than 2,000 families were separated at the US border with Mexico this year under a Trump administration policy aimed at deterring illegal immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Time notes that Putin secured a landslide victory in Russia’s March elections, “extending his term for another six years against the backdrop of scrutiny over Russia’s involvement in the 2016 US presidential elections, the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK, and increasing tension with Ukraine”.
Robert Mueller
A runner-up for Time’s 2017 Person of the Year, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has continued to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as key figures involved in the 2016 Trump campaign and administration.
Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler directed the Marvel superhero film Black Panther which featured a largely black cast and became the third-highest grossing US cinema release of all time.
Christine Blasey Ford
Time says the psychology professor “became a symbol for survivors of sexual assault as she testified against in front of senators in September about her allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee and now Judge Brett Kavanaugh”.
Jamal Khashoggi
A prolific critic of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his regime, journalist Khashoggi was last seen entering the country’s consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. It is believed he was murdered on the orders of the Crown Prince.
March For Our Lives Activists
The activists, including survivors of mass shootings, have held demonstrations across the US, campaigning for gun-control reforms.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in
Moon’s nomination stems from him meeting his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un at three historic summits on the future of the Korean Peninsula, as well as brokering the landmark meeting between Kim and Trump.
Meghan Markle
Time says former Hollywood actor and activist Markle “traded in her roles on screen for a royal title in May, when she married Britain’s Prince Harry to the delight of captivated crowds across the UK and millions more worldwide”.
The 2018 Person of the Year will be unveiled tomorrow. ‘Silence breakers’, people who went public with allegations of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, politics, the media and beyond, took home the title last year.
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