The gracious world leader, the tyrant, the celebrity endorser. The artist, the scholar, the hero. The researcher, the entrepreneur. Some wonder if influence is dead, but in these people we find it is alive and well. They often have your attention, whether you agree with them or not.
For the past decade, TIME has compiled a yearly list of the 100 most influential people in the world. We don’t think influence should be addressed just once a year. Instead, we want to look at the world and understand who is influential at this very moment. To mark who is shaping the conversation, we’re building on the ideals of our annual TIME 100 list to bring you the Person of the Moment. It will be a nod to the people and stories that are influential now. They will be actors and politicians, musicians and activists, titans and names you’ve never heard of before.
The Person of the Moment could be a leader brokering a deal between opposing political forces. He might be a weapons inspector bound for Damascus. She could be a fashion executive who ditches an august brand for Silicon Valley’s top dog. The Person of the Moment is someone you are listening to—or should be. Like our Person of the Year, the designation applies to people who affect the news and our lives, for good or ill.
We want to hear from you as well. Each Friday, we’ll ask you to pick our Person of the Week. Who dominated the conversation in your household? Who has you thinking in new ways? We want to know.
This is just the first step. As we build toward our TIME.com relaunch, we’ll roll out new features that keep you up to date on the work of our TIME 100 alumni and more.
Influence manifests in a number of ways. Positive or negative, we’ll examine who has sway and why. We hope you’ll join us.