Survey: Public Opinion on TIME Magazine’s People of the year 2022 selection

To celebrate the significant contributions of an individual, a group, or an idea, US-based TIME Magazine initiated a tradition in 1927 to honor them. However, it started as a cover-up tactic to keep the editorial panel from losing face when they didn’t feature aviator Charles Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic flight. The wise decision was made at the end of the year to feature Lindbergh as the ‘Man of the Year’ on the cover of the magazine. This was to save themselves from embarrassment and to honor the pilot of the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight.

Over the years, the designation has often been regarded as a prize or award. However, some choices have sparked controversy, including that of Adolf Hitler (1938) and Ayatollah Khomeini (1979), among others. Since then, TIME has shied away from honoring controversial figures for commercial reasons, fearing a drop in sales or advertising revenue due to public backlash.

Prior to 1999, the title was referred to as ‘Man of the Year,’ with the exception of three women — Wallis Simpson (1936), Queen Elizabeth II (1952), and Corazon Aquino (1986) — who were designated as ‘Women of the Year.’ However, the title was changed to ‘Person of the Year’ from 1999 onwards to accommodate all individuals, and groups. TIME has also given the title to inanimate objects such as the Computer (as the machine of the year in 1982) and Endangered Earth (as the planet of the year in 1988).

This year, in addition to the ‘Person of the Year’, TIME has included a number of other categories (e.g., Icon of the Year, Innovators of the Year, Heroes of the Year, etc.) that have elicited an assortment of responses from audiences. The choices for this year are as follows:

• Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
• Innovator of the Year: American Engineer, Gregory Robinson and the James Webb Telescope
• Entertainer of the Year: Blackpink, South Korean pop band
• Icon of the Year: Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian actress
• Heroes of the Year: The Women of Iran
• Athlete of the Year: Aaron Judge, American Baseball outfielder
• Special Mention: The Spirit of Ukraine

The list has gained mixed reactions, hence, hurry and answer the survey on TIME Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ 2022 selection on the Real Research app from December 18, 2022. After that, you will receive 50 TNCs as a reward.