Time’s picks for ‘Person of the Year’ hits close to home for journalists

By Matt Collins Article may include affiliate links

Time’s annual pick for “Person of the Year” is actually more than one person — journalists killed or imprisoned while doing their jobs.

• Collectively referred to as “The Guardians,” the magazine is honoring Jamal Khashoggi, the Capital Gazette staff, Maria Ressa, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
• All of these individuals were killed or jailed in the “line of duty” — while simply trying to do their jobs.
• The pick comes at a time when journalists around the world are become threatened with violence and death.
• In the United States in particular, journalists have also come under target by the White House and Donald Trump — who labels many outlets and reporters as “fake news” — which is triggering an increase in trolling, physical violence toward journalists and bomb scares in newsrooms.
• Read more coverage of Time’s 2018 pick here.