The person of the year has been awarded by TIME to the biggest news makers of the year since 1927. This year’s person of the year is being awarded to deceased and imprisoned journalists such as Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was murdered in a Saudi Consulate in Istanbul turkey, and Reuter’s journalists jailed in Myanmar after being set up by local police. This move comes after a tumultuous year for journalists; where a worldwide climate of distrust in the media and oppressive new regimes grow to power that threaten a worldwide free press. The brave voices that dissent and check our world leaders deserve to be heard and protected, regardless of their content.
The award has also been extended to those murdered in a mass shooting at the Capitol Gazette in Maryland, which claimed the lives of four journalists and one sales associate. In light of the many attacks our media has suffered, this decision is a great reminder that there are people out there trying to get the stories we need to hear to form our worldview despite the dangers and repercussions involved, and those are very brave people indeed.
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