Time magazine names #MeToo as ‘person’ of the year

TIME magazine has named the #MeToo social media hashtag as the most influential “person” of the year, the publication said yesterday.

The #MeToo social movement is aimed at raising awareness about sexual harassment and assault.

“It is the fastest moving social change we have seen in decades and began with individual acts of courage by hundreds of women – and some men – who came forward to tell their own stories,” Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said, referring to them as the silence breakers.

The magazine’s recognition comes amid a wave of public allegations of sexual misconduct that have targeted some of the most prominent men in US politics, media and entertainment, leading to multiple firings and investigations.

As more people made their accusations public, others also shared their own stories of assault and harassment, often with posts on social media platforms, using the #MeToo hashtag.

Tarana Burke, who created the hashtag, said: “I could never have envisioned something that would change the world – I was trying to change my community.

“This is just the start. It is not just a moment – it’s a movement. Now the work really begins,” Burke said.

Felsenthal said US President Donald Trump, Time’s person of the year last year, was the first runner-up this year, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is also among this year’s finalists.