Time magazine on Thursday
announced its annual “100 Most Influential People” list, which included big names from the media and late-night talk show worlds, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow, among others.
The list includes blurbs on each of the winners written by those close to them.
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Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House and frequent guest on Hannity’s radio and TV programs, weighed in on his friend playing a “major role” in President Trump winning the White House in 2016.
“Sean Hannity has a remarkable impact between three hours of radio and an hour of TV every day,” wrote Gingrich. “Hannity played a major role in helping Trump get the nomination and win the general election. Sean is both a principled conservative and a ferocious opponent of the left and the deep state. He has made and is making a difference.”
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel also made the list and has recently clashed with Hannity publicly after the conservative host took offense to Kimmel mocking first lady Melania Trump’s accent.
“Last year, Jimmy told America the story of his infant son Billy, who was born with a congenital heart condition, and the extraordinary care that saved his life,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wrote about Kimmel. “And then Jimmy looked into the camera and told all of us in Washington to get real about health insurance and make sure every baby Billy had a fighting chance.
“Night after night he sparred with the politicians who tried to take health insurance from millions of Americans. In the end we stopped them with one vote in the Senate and one great comedian on late-night TV. Thanks, Jimmy.”
Ronan Farrow was also recognized for his reporting for The New Yorker on the Harvey Weinstein scandal, as were Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey for The New York Times.
The reporting effectively ended the career of Weinstein, one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers, and prompted an avalanche of stories of past sexual harassment involving big names in media world while giving a spark to the viral “Me Too” movement.
“Farrow, Kantor and Twohey amply demonstrate journalism’s power, igniting the individual and collective passion that has led to empowering movements such as #MeToo and Time’s Up. I, for one, am grateful,” wrote actress and Weinstein accuser Ashley Judd.
The list also highlights NBC’s “Today” show’s new hosts.
The show appeared to be in disarray following the dismissal of longtime host Matt Lauer amid sexual harassment allegations in November.
But ratings improved under Hoda Kotb as Savannah Guthrie’s new co-host. Kotb had previously co-hosted with Kathie Lee Gifford in NBC’s 10 a.m. weekday hour.
“They can handle an interview, handle a crisis, handle breaking news and handle pop culture. We all know that morning shows can be fun, but you get the sense that when news breaks, neither one of these women will,” wrote Maria Shiver, a correspondent for NBC News and niece of former President Kennedy.
Other media and talk-show figures to be named include Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah and “60 Minutes” special contributor Oprah Winfrey.
