(Image Source: TIME)

BY EMILY SPAIN

You're watching multisource world news analysis by Newsy. 

TIME magazine revealed its Person of the Year Wednesday morning on NBC’s Today Show. Except it’s not a person, it’s more like a group or concept. TIME chose the “Protester”.

“Our person of the year for 2011 is the Protester, the men and women around the world, but particularly in the Middle East, who toppled governments, who brought a sense of democracy and dignity to people who hadn’t had it before.”

Other important protesters to note include those in the Occupy Wall Street movement, anti-drug cartel protesters in Mexico and those who marched against the government in Greece.  A writer for Ha’aretz notes how uprisings were a worldwide trend this year.

“On almost every continent, 2011 has seen an almost unprecedented rise in both peaceful and sometimes violent unrest and dissent. Protesters in a lengthening list of countries...all increasingly link their actions explicitly to the popular revolutions that have shaken up the Middle East.”

The “Person of the Year” award goes to the person or in this case-- people--that the magazine thinks had a profound influence in the past year -- for better or worse.

Runner-ups included:

Number 2: Admiral William McRaven - who organized the raid leading to the death of Osama Bin Laden.

Number 3: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei - an activist who was detained for months after he spoke out against abuse of government power

Number 4: Rep. Paul Ryan - who TIME credits with raising awareness of America’s fast-growing national debt.

And number 5: Duchess Kate Middleton - who’s elegance and beauty earned the affection of millions.

Some question why people like former Apple CEO Steve Jobs and congresswoman Gabby Giffords didn’t make that list... Here’s TIME’s response:

“Actually, Gabby Giffords is in the magazine, we did an Internet interview, an email interview. Steve Jobs is at the beginning of our farewell section... You know a lot of discussion about Steve Jobs, it’s not a lifetime achievement award. Steve is someone I venerate, but it wasn’t really a year where he transformed anything.”

Fox and Friends anchor Brian Kilmeade thought Giffords and Jobs got snubbed-- but he was even more irritated that TIME put Occupy and Middle East protesters in the same category.

“You can equate both of them in this article? Are you kidding me? That's unbelievable. They equate the uprising of the Egyptian people after 50 years of repression, to a bunch of people in Zuccotti Park who don't like Wall Street bankers."

But a writer for The Root says even though lots of people could have earned the title, TIME made the right choice.

“While many of us could have thought of numerous people that we felt deserved the award, the magazine got it right by naming the individuals across the world who still believed in the power of protest...”

Last year’s Person of the Year?  Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg. The “Person of the Year” issue of TIME will be available on newsstands Friday.

Transcript by Newsy.