Hate wins as Herald drops Person of the Year poll

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 7 December 2018

The monthly magazine Herald has decided to remove its Person of the Year survey after facing backlash. The poll, which included several contentious figures, stirred significant controversy and public division.

Summary

ISLAMABAD -Monthly magazine Herald on Friday announced to take down its Person of the Year survey from the Internet.

In a tweet, the magazine said: “The Herald has decided to take down its Person of the Year survey from the Internet. We have been using a three-way system – a survey on the ground, an online opinion poll and a panel of 10 experts – since 2013 to choose our Person of the Year.”

The number of choices for the person of year offered by Herald included Khalai Makhlooq, a term used for describing military establishment. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif used it extensively during the Panama case.

Also included in the list were Khadim Hussain Rizvi, chief of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Prime Minister Imran Khan, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif.

In an earlier tweet, Herald said the list led to “hate directed towards the magazine.” It said: “This year the online poll has led to an unprecedented hate directed towards the magazine, deeply dividing public opinion and making the entire process controversial.”

It is important to highlight that ISPR DG in his presser on Thursday warned the leaders of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement against crossing the “red line.”

In another tweet, Herald maintained: “It is never the Herald’s intention to sensationalize, incite hate or promote bigotry. And it is for this reason that we have decided to not conduct the online opinion poll this year. We apologize to our readers for the inconvenience.”