How we chose the 100 most influential people in the world for the 2017 - Time Magazine explains

Last week, Time magazine released it's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world for the year 2017. Explaining how the list was made, Time Magazine says 'this year is a bit more complicated'. 

These past 12 months have sharpened our edges as political debates in the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East and Asia, turned jagged and primal and seem almost perfectly designed to divide us more deeply. There are several people on the list whose influence is the subject of heated debate, from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to FBI Director James Comey to White House adviser Stephen Bannon. Each has champions and critics; all are shap­ing the course of this turbulent year'.

The magazine continues to say,

 'In making the list, we seek counsel from the TIME 100 alumni, many of whom contributed to this issue. Common writes on Chance the Rapper, who was inspired by a phone message Common left him long ago. Tina Fey offers a tribute to Donald Glover; Meryl Streep to Viola Davis; and Sheryl Sandberg to Melinda Gates'.