A Letter From the Publisher

By Richard B. Thomas

Since 1927, when TIME first began selecting a Man of the Year, readers have reacted to the choice with approval, surprise, bemusement and in some cases, even anger. Although the title is always conferred on the person or group of individuals who, for better or worse, has dominated the year's news, Adolf Hitler (1938), Joseph Stalin (1939, 1942) and the Ayatullah Khomeini (1979) drew a legion of indignant letters.

In this issue, our Woman of the Year, Corazon Aquino, is unlikely to | confuse or outrage anyone, save for die-hard supporters of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, whom she helped to oust. "She is one of the rare world leaders whose appeal crosses every barrier of ideology and geography," says Contributor Pico Iyer, who wrote the main story. "All the world can rejoice in her rise." Aquino is the third member of her sex to occupy the cover alone as the annual TIME choice. She follows Queen Elizabeth (1952) and Wallis Simpson (1936). A Women of the Year cover (1975) recognized the giant strides made by a wide range of U.S. female achievers.

Several of TIME's top editors had a chance to prepare for the story when they traveled to Manila in November. Managing Editor Jason McManus, Chief of Correspondents Henry Muller, International Editor Karsten Prager and Senior Editor George M. Taber met Aquino twice, once the day before she fired her rebellious Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile. "It made all the difference to get her up close at a crucial time," says Taber, who edited the cover story. "From a distance it was her soft style that came through. But in her presence we could see her complexity and strength."

For Correspondent Sandra Burton, who wrote the box on Aquino's decision to run for the Philippine presidency, the choice was the culmination of a reporting assignment that began in 1983, when Burton was present at the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, Corazon's husband. Since that dramatic moment, no Western journalist has been more privy to Corazon Aquino's rise to power than Burton.

Hong Kong Bureau Chief William Stewart did the major reporting for the story, with the assistance of Manila Reporter Nelly Sindayen. Stewart rates his long interview with Aquino this month as the "best I've ever had in a series of such talks with Presidents, Kings, an Emperor, a sultan, guerrilla chiefs and a gaggle of Prime Ministers." Though Stewart believes Aquino has made mistakes as President, he insists "there is no doubt that the Philippines -- and the rest of the world -- is a better place because of her."