ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
December 19, 2007
The Person of the Year is...
TIME names Russia's Vladimir Putin 2007 Person of the Year. TFK chooses Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Followers of major news events awaited a big, annual announcement this morning. At about 7:45 a.m. in New York City, it came. TIME magazine chose Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Person of the Year for 2007. In this 80-year-old tradition, TIME editors recognize the person, group or (sometimes) idea that has influenced events and had the greatest impact on the world for the preceding 12 months. Richard Stengel, the Managing Editor of TIME, points to Putin's brand of strong leadership and his success at stabilizing Russia, the largest country on Earth, as key reasons for making him this year's choice.
 |  J.P. MASCLET J.K. Rowling, TFK Person of the Year |
At TIME FOR KIDS, the focus was on the people who had been most influential in kids' lives this year. After much debate, TFK chose J.K. Rowling as its Person of the Year. In 2007, Rowling published the seventh book in the Harry Potter series, finishing the tale of Harry's years at Hogwarts Academy and his epic battle with pure evil. She has sold 400 million books, and made avid readers of many kids who are not easily persuaded to read for fun. She also created a character and a world that generations to come will find compelling, entertaining and simply magical. A special issue of TIME For Kids magazine in January will feature Rowling's story, complete with excerpts from an exclusive TIME magazine interview by Nancy Gibbs.
 LESTER COHEN—WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES Miley Cyrus, winner of the timeforkids.com poll | |
Who did kids choose as their Person of 2007? More than 26,000 voters made a pick on our timeforkids.com poll. In the end, Disney Channel star and recording artist Miley Cyrus was kids' favorite. Other top finishers: Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, Rowling and former Vice President Al Gore.
The TIME tradition of choosing a Person of the Year is "not a popularity contest," Stengel reminds readers. Who might become the Person of the Year in 2008? It could be an artist, a world leader, a champion of peace or an advocate of violence and oppression. Taking note of how the world is changing gives us an opportunity to celebrate the people who are on the leading edge of positive change. We also get a chance to choose another path, a better way, even a different leader. Teaching kids about the people who are changing our world is something TFK aims to do every week. Taking a closer look at these folks, and thinking about whether they are the right people to lead us into the future, is a powerful way to get ready for the new year.
