"TIME's choices for Person of the Year are often controversial. Editors are asked to choose the person or thing that had the greatest impact on the news, for go

"TIME's choices for Person of the Year are often controversial. Editors are asked to choose the person or thing that had the greatest impact on the news, for good or ill — guidelines that leave them no choice but to select a newsworthy — not necessarily praiseworthy — cover subject." Edit: "The magazine has nominated several controversial figures as "Man Of The Year" since the tradition started in 1927, including Joseph Stalin, Nikita Kruschchev, and Ayatullah Khomeini. Osama bin Laden was strongly considered in 2001, but the the award went to New York mayor Rudy Giuliani instead."