Session: 1234567891011121314151617         Page 573574575576577578579580581582583584585586587588589590591592593594595596597598599600 of 824

story. Even cover stories were invented to cover up the real cover. Of course everybody every year keeps guessing at who it will be, and making suggestions right up to the last minute.

Who decides, though, ultimately? Who's the committee?

Oh, in final analysis it comes down to the managing editor and the editor-in-chief. But there are so many other voices that are heard in the process that you'd have difficulty in saying that specifically it was one person or another who made the decision.

Did you push for a particular Man of the Year at any year?

Oh I have--I'm trying to remember when. In some years it's so obvious that you wouldn't even want to waste your breath. Like this year it was obvious that it had to be Cora--Cori [Corizon] Aquino of the Philippines. I don't even know whether there was any discussion about any other candidate. As I surveyed the horizon, it didn't seem to me there was any body else.

Was it called Man of the Year?

It was Woman of the Year. No no, we haven't made her in to a man! On the other hand I suppose in 1979 when it was Deng [Xiaoping], I can't remember the conversation but there probably were alternatives. You know, whether it should be Deng [Xiaoping] or whether it should be Khomeini at that point, or what. But, you know,