Time Magazine’s Person of the Year issue is well known and recognised around the world. It has been around since 1927, when its first recipient was Charles Lindbergh, who made the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris that year. From what it seemed, this title was an honor. Recipients included Mahatma Gandhi (1930) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932, 1934, 1941). But then, when Adolf Hitler, the fascist dictator of the German Reich won Person of the Year in 1938, the world was dumbfounded.
Controversy followed this decision understandably. People were outraged that a man so horrible could win the title. By 1938 Hitler had already risen to power in Germany, invaded Austria and begun his persecution of Jewish populations. So it begs the question, why was he given this honor?
The plain truth is, he wasn’t given any honor. Before Hitler, many of the recipients had been honorable people, and this title was misconstrued as an honourable. However, in reality, this title is determined in a much more strategic manner. The title is given to the person who affected the news and headlines the most that year. This means that Hitler’s appointment was in no way an honor, nor an official condemnation, rather he was the most influential person that year, for good or for worse. This is clear when we look at the full roster of those who have been awarded this title. Notorious and infamous figures such as Bin Laden and Stalin have been awarded the title, as well as honorable figures such as Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis.
Despite what people may believe, this was in not an honor to Hitler, but rather was a condemnation of his actions. While not officially one, the publication detailed his barbaric actions and stated he was "the greatest threatening force that the democratic, freedom-loving world faces today." It also states that“...he had rearmed Germany to the teeth— or as close to the teeth as he was able…” and “...had stolen Austria before the eyes of a horrified and apparently impotent world.” (TIME Magazine)
What can be learnt from this misconception is that context is important. Headlines can become misconstrued if given without their full context. With growing mistrust in the media, it's ever more important to read beyond the headline and understand the fact behind it. That is what this small anecdote from history can teach us. Before we express any emotion, opinion or idea about something, we must fully understand it first, and not allow ourselves to be blinded by the headline.
Map of Nazi Germany by March, 1938
References:
“Hitler Named Time Magazine's ‘Man of the Year.’” Sky HISTORY TV Channel, 2 Jan. 1939, https://www.history.co.uk/this-day-in-history/02-january/hitler-named-time-magazines-man-of-the-year.
Lomeli, Nayeli. “Fact Check: Time Magazine Did Not Praise Hitler with 1938 'Man of the Year' Title.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 19 Aug. 2021, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/08/19/fact-check-hitler-time-magazine-man-year-1938-not-honor/8149799002/.
“Adolf Hitler: Man of the Year, 1938.” Time, Time Inc., 2 Jan. 1939, http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,760539-1,00.html
“Time's Person of the Year, 1927-Present.” Opendatasoft, 11 Dec. 2019, https://public.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/times-person-of-the-year/table/?sort=year.
Image Sources
留言