Well, not fitting the media narrative helps, but it also helps that (a) this is the person “of the year” (2011) and (b) the protests in 2011 were spread around

Well, not fitting the media narrative helps, but it also helps that (a) this is the person “of the year” (2011) and (b) the protests in 2011 were spread around the world and throughout populations, rather than just in one country and its students.